A 



COMMENTARY 



ON THE 



BOOK OF PROVERBS. 



BY 

MOSES STUART, 

LATELY PROFESSOR OF SACRED LITERATURE IN THE THEOLOGICAL 
SEMINARY AT ANDOVER, MASS. 



■y 

NEW YQRK: 

M. W, DODD, BRICK CHURCH CHAPEL. 
1 852, 



S7 



Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1852, by 
I. W. Stuart, Executor, 
in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the District of Massachusetts. 



ANDOVER! JOHN B. PLAG6, 
STEREOTYPER AND PRINTER. 



PREFACE. 



The history of the present undertaking is brief and simple. 
After completing my Commentary on Ecclesiastes, I felt specially 
attracted toward another book, (that of the Proverbs), by reason 
of its close affinity with Ecclesiastes, in a variety of respects. 
The* gnomic form of much that is in the latter book, naturally 
produced in my mind, after having spent so much time upon it, 
an interest in respect to the other book, which is filled with 
gnomes. A large circle of clerical friends, (many of whom had 
once been my pupils), who are now moving in extensive spheres 
of usefulness, and enjoying the approbation of highly respected 
churches, gave me, early in the summer of the present year, 
cheering and animating encouragement to proceed in the writing 
of a Commentary on the Proverbs. My own inclination and 
choice had already, in a measure, anticipated their friendly 
request ; for when that reached me, I had gone on more than 
half-way through the book, in the writing of the Commentary. 
Other friends and brethren, also, have since approved and encour- 
aged the undertaking. A kind Providence has spared my life, when 
I had little reason to expect its continuance : and from time to 
time, after repeated partial interruptions of my labors, (during some 
of which I was led seriously to doubt whether I should ever be 
able to renew them), I have been enabled to complete what I 
had begun, if not according to my wishes, yet according to my 
best ability. 



4 PREFACE. 

In the composition of the work which follows, I have felt even 
a deeper interest than I had anticipated. As to the Hebrew in 
which it is written, it bears the unmistakable stamp of antiquity. 
Nothing can be more diverse in this respect than the Proverbs 
and the Preacher. A true lover of the old Hebrew must needs 
enjoy the reading of the Proverbs. Then, in the next place, such 
a book as this, which records so many hundreds of short, pointed, 
pithy sayings, or maxims, must exhibit much of the common con- 
versational idiom of the Hebrews. Moreover, many of the nicer 
and more difficult points, in respect to Hebrew Grammar, are 
here developed, as we should naturally conclude they would be ; 
for proverbial sayings generally take large liberties as to the forms, 
idioms, and syntax of any language. The student, who is desirous 
of mastering such difficulties, will acquire much useful training in 
the accurate investigation of the idioms in the book before us. 
Nowhere, in the Hebrew Scriptures, is knowledge of this kind 
more often required than here. And it is in the study of this 
book, that the masterly Syntax of Ewald, in regard to the most 
obscure and difficult points of the Hebrew language, affords 
peculiar, and in general, adequate aid, — aid which can scarcely 
be found to such an extent in any other work of this nature. I 
acknowledge myself indebted to him, for illustrations of some 
points elsewhere either overlooked or imperfectly exhibited. 
There is scarcely any anomaly in the Hebrew Scriptures, on 
which he has not touched ; and not only so, but adduced illustra- 
tion and confirmation of his method of solving it. 

Ernesti, almost a century ago, said that no interpretation, ichich 
is at variance with the laws of grammar and of idiom, can be the 
true one. The reason is obvious. To be at all understood, the 
sacred writers must of course conform to the usus loquendi of 
their times. The laws of grammar, so called, do nothing more 
than exhibit facts respecting the usus loquendi of any language. 
They are not laws which grammar makes, but laws which it 
discovers and exhibits. If, then, we do not attain to a right 
understanding of these laws, we of course must, to a certain 



PREFACE. 



5 



extent, be ignorant of the usus in question ; and when we are 
thus ignorant, how can we interpret with any good measure of 
assurance, that we are in the right ? We may give credit to the 
learning and judgment of others, but we cannot trust our own. 

On such a ground of exegesis as that mentioned above, I have 
aimed that the following work should have its basis. There has 
never been, consciously on my part, any endeavor to dictate what 
the sacred writer ought to say, but merely to find out what he has 
said. And to do this, all guessing, conjecture, or imagination 
must be dismissed, and must stand aside. My reverence for 
God's Word is such, that when I find out what his servants have 
said and sanctioned, I regard it as of more value than all which 
any uninspired interpreter can say. Hence my partiality for a 
simple commentary of explanation, at least for the use of all 
preachers of the gospel. A commentary merely hortatory and 
practical, they should themselves be able to make. They ought 
not to depend on others, in this case. But to find the real 
nucleus, out of which this practical commentary is to be devel- 
oped, one must of necessity betake himself to the aid of gram- 
matico-historical exegesis. The present work is designed to aid 
such an undertaking, to facilitate the labor of the student, and to 
spare him as much of time in regard to the investigation of ma- 
terials, as is practicable, when this is to be carried through by his 
own efforts. 

I believe I may venture to assert tl^at there is no real difficulty 
as to form, idiom, or syntax, in the book of Proverbs, on which I 
have not touched, and which I have not endeavored to explain. 
Hence the saving of time, as I would hope, to the reader. The 
materials are gathered for him ; they are fitted for structure ; and 
he has only to apply his own efforts, in order to erect and complete 
the structure designed. It has been my intention always to conduct 
him so as that he may see with his own eyes, if he will use them ; 
and, moreover, see as clearly as if he had expended his time in 
collecting for himself the materials now made ready to his hand. 
Ex cathedra die ere is not designedly the order of the day, in the 

1* 



6 



PREFACE. 



following work. Nothing is intended to be established by mere 
assertion or assumption, but every opinion given is designed to be 
defended by facts and reasons. Of these, the reader has as good 
a right to judge as the writer. 

Brief I have aimed to be. I have been so, specially in the 
Commentary. I have not labored to explain what can be made 
no plainer than it already is. Smaller difficulties are briefly and 
summarily discussed. In a few cases only, has a kind of exegetical 
dissertation been deemed necessary ; and these are treated with 
all needful and becoming amplitude. 

In a large number of cases, where the language is figurative, 
or peculiarly compressed, or elliptic, or hyperbolic in the mode 
of expression, I have subjoined to each verse a summary of what 
I deemed to be the real sentiment designed to be expressed, in 
plain and simple English idiom. The expert in commentary will 
not be displeased with this ; the tyro will, as I would hope, grate- 
fully accept of such aid, and avail himself of it. 

I have become more and more attached to a close translation 
of the original, as a most important aid in the study of a Hebrew 
book. Our idiom better expresses the Hebrew, than any other 
modern European language, or than the older Latin or Greek. 
De Wette has made a noble translation of the Scriptures into the 
German ; and this language stands next to our own, in exhibiting 
the power of the Hebrew idiom. But I have forborne habitually 
to consult his version of the book in question, because I wished to 
give my own impressions of the meaning of the Hebrew, without 
any embarrassment. De Wette, however, may well be consulted 
by the student ; but now and then I have found in him evidence 
that he had not always mastered some of the peculiar idioms of 
the book, nor always investigated specialities of syntax in it. I 
have, therefore, forborne to consult him, with less reluctance than 
I should have felt, without having come to the knowledge of these 
facts. I hardly need to say that my aim has been to keep close 
to the original, and to employ pure and simple English words in 
my version. The latter will speak for itself. I have more often 



PREFACE. 



7 



hesitated in order to find a Saxon word which is not vulgar, 
instead of a word derived from the Latin or Greek, than from 
almost any other cause. After all, I have been forced, at times, 
upon the latter class of words, either to avoid vulgarism, or to 
give the nicer shade of meaning demanded by the Hebrew. 
E. g. the meaning of Sib is to satisfy, and also to satiate. In cases 
where the latter meaning is plain, our version has given filled, or 
satisfied, neither of which convey the Hebrew shade of meaning. 
I have been obliged, therefore, to use satiate ; for I could not say 
stuffed, crammed, or the like. But then, this is no* more a Latin- 
ism than satisfy ; and it may be employed with equal propriety. 
In all cases where a real equivalent Saxon word presented itself 
— a word in good repute — I have preferred it. It is such a 
usage of our English translators, which has made our common 
version an immortal monument of the noble Anglo-Saxon. 

A good and faithful translation is of itself, for the most part, 
an adequate interpretation. Hence its importance. That in such 
a book as that of Proverbs, our English translators should have 
sometimes erred, being furnished with no other knowledge than 
what the lexicons and grammars afforded them two centuries ago, 
is much less a matter of wonder, than that they should so gen- 
erally have been in the right. No apology however is needed, 
as I trust, at the present time, for differing from them in a few 
cases, where new light has been poured upon grammar, idiom, or 
the general subject of Hebrew antiquities. 

Thus much for the history and manner of my present work. 
A word as to the book itself, which is the subject of commen- 
tary, and I have done. 

The book of Proverbs, I venture to assert, has a deep Jiistorical 
interest, as well as a moral, social, industrial, and pious one. 
Solomon doubtless did not make or compose all the proverbs con- 
tained in it. Many of them he selected, digested, and arranged. 
But the mass of the book passed through his hands, or at least 
through his mind ; and therefore it has his sanction. But there 
can be little doubt, that by far the greater part of the book orig- 



8 



PREFACE. 



inated among the Hebrew people as such. Most of the maxims 
are plainly the offspring of sound common sense, of much expe- 
rience, and of acute discrimination. They bear the evident 
stamp of serious, thinking, and devout minds. I have spoken of 
them as a selection. There is good reason for thus speaking ; 
inasmuch as in 1 Kings 4 : 32, we are told that Solomon " spake 
three thousand proverbs." If now he drew from these, in order 
to compose one book of Proverbs, he must have selected ; for the 
present book contains less than one thousand. The internal testi- 
mony of the book discloses the certainty, that the proverbs of 
other wise men besides Solomon are contained in it. The store, 
then, of Hebrew proverbs must have been very great, in the time 
of Solomon. 

Let this however be as it may, there can be no doubt that this 
book had great currency among the Hebrews. It fell in, therefore, 
with the feelings and views of that people. It is here, then, that 
we come to see the historical element of the book. It is a picture 
• — a vivid picture — of the internal Hebrew man ; of his genius, 
feelings, practical reasonings, morals, industry, social condition, 
internal relations, comity, and, in a word, of the whole state of 
the Hebrews, and their rank among the society of nations. What 
is generally popular and approved among the masses of any peo- 
ple, must be that which is congruous with their civil, social, and 
moral condition. What they thought, and felt, and said, on all 
the great problems relating to a social state and the respective 
rights of men, in regard to their mutual relations and depen- 
dencies, or in respect to their moral and religious views and feel- 
ings, — all this is completely before us, in the picture drawn in 
the book of Proverbs. Not that there were no dissenters from 
many of its maxims ; for there were doubtless bad men among 
them, at that time ; and the like have been found in every age 
and among every nation. But the mass of the people must have 
been of a different character ; for how else could they relish 
and heartily approve of such a manual of ethics, of sobriety, chas- 
tity, industry, and economy, as the book before us contains ? In 



PREFACE. 



9 



this book, then, is virtually contained the history of their mental 
and moral state and progress, — a history more minute, more 
graphic, more extensive, and, I may add, more interesting, than 
all the external histories of the nation taken together. 

And what story does this tell of the Hebrew people, in the 
days of Solomon ? One, I venture to say, that the proverbs of 
no nation destitute of the Bible ever did or can tell. I have 
pursued this course of thought to some length in my Introduction 
to the book ; and I have also compared a considerable mass of 
the Arabic and Greek proverbs with those in the book before us. 
The reader may now judge in some measure for himself, whether 
foreign nations had any good reason to despise the Hebrews. All 
the heathen moralists and proverbialists joined together cannot 
furnish us with one such book, as that of the Proverbs in the 
sacred Scriptures. 

The subject is one of deep interest, to all who wish to acquire 
an intimate knowledge of the mental and moral state of the He- 
brews in ancient times. If the preceding remarks are all well 
grounded, then is it plain, that this book gives a better insight 
into their manners and morals, than all their histories, not even 
excepting the sacred ones. If the student will carefully peruse 
the book with this view of the matter before him, he will find 
himself richly repaid in the end, by coming at most interesting 
developments of the Hebrew national character. 

The book in its present form, was a thing of gradual accom- 
plishment. " The words of the wise," in 22 : 17, seq. ; the addi- 
tions made by " the men of Hezekiah," 25 : 1, seq.; and the com- 
positions of Agur and Lemuel, 30 : 1, seq., 31: 1, seq. ; are all 
witnesses to the correctness of this statement. But all these 
topics are amply discussed in the Introduction. 

I have only to add, that I have purposely adapted my work to 
beginners in Hebrew stuchj. Hence the minute and careful solu- 
tion of all which is abnormal, either in form, idiom, or syntax. It 
is of little or no use to pursue the study of the original Scriptures, 
without aiming at minute philological accuracy. Half-way be- 



10 



PREFACE. 



tween this and a mere popular preaching commentary, is the 
least satisfactory way of all. It is too high for the common reader, 
and too low for the accurate inquirer. It therefore satisfies 
neither. 

Should a kind Providence still preserve me in life, with the 
power of action, I think seriously of endeavoring, at some future 
period, to write a commentary on this book, altogether adapted to 
common readers, that is, to the great mass of our population. 
There is no book on earth of deeper interest, in a social, moral, 
industrial, and economical point of view, than the book of Prov- 
erbs. May and should it not have a wider diffusion, and be more 
read and studied, and better understood ? I believe it may, if 
it shall be duly provided with popular and appropriate illustra- 
tions. I hesitate, indeed, as to my own competency duly to per- 
form this task ; but I cannot hesitate as to cherishing an ardent 
desire that it should be speedily and well performed. 

Moses Stuart. 

Andover, 1852. 



INTRODUCTION. 



§ 1. Name of the Booh 

The full name of the book is nn£$ , Proverbs of 
Solomon, which constitute the first two words that present 
themselves in the text to the reader. More commonly, only 
the first of these words is employed to designate the book ; 
and accordingly, ^biBB is the running title in our Hebrew 
Bibles; and in our English ones, the common appellation 
given to it is Proverbs. The Talmud, and all the later 
Jews, exhibit the like usage. In Baba Bathra however 
(fol. 14. 6), the name fi^sn "WS, i. e. Book of Wisdom, is 
given both to this book and to that of Coheleth or Ecclesi- 
astes. 

In the Greek Christian fathers, we find not only naooijilai 
JZaloitwvTog, (a literal translation of the first compound 
Hebrew name), but very frequently meet with coopia, as a 
title for the book ; or, as Gregory Nazianz. has it (Orat. xi.), 
we also meet with r\ navdozTog ooopla. This last designa- 
tion is also given by Clement of Rome (i. 57) ; and Eusebius 
(Hist. Ecc. iv. 22) speaks of Hegesippus, Irenaeus, and 
others, as giving to Proverbs the same title. Semler thinks 
this to be the title of an apocryphal book of Proverbs, (Pref. 
to Vogel's edit, of Schultens on the Prov.) ; but without any 
valid reason. Thus much however is true, viz., that the 
Christian fathers apply navaqexog (Tocpia also to the book of 



12 



§ 1. Name of the book. 



Sirach and the Wisdom of Solomon ; see Cotelerius in Epist. 
Clem. i. 57. It seems probable, that the Jews, before the 
writing of the Talmud, were accustomed, in common parlance 
at least, to . call the book tvztt ; probably because of the 
peculiar wisdom of Solomon, its main author, or because 
Wisdom makes so conspicuous a figure in it, and is often 
introduced as a personage speaking. It was natural, there- 
fore, to name her words aotyia. And so, in imitation of this 
title of the book, we have a late apocryphal one which is 
entitled aocpla ^olofxddvtog. In this way we may see a 
sufficient reason, why (in Baba Bathra as quoted above) 
the name Book of Wisdom was employed. 

Our English word Proverbs, however, or the German 
Spruche, does not accurately express 'fettjtt- A proverb 
usually means a short and pithy saying which is often 
employed, and commonly with point and special significancy. 
But this proverb may be either prose or poetry ; and more 
usually with us, it is the former. Not so as to ^TBEi . The 
word bxfiv means comparison, resemblance, similitude. But, 
as applied to the book of Proverbs, it should not be taken 
as meaning, that this composition in a peculiar, manner 
abounds in the use of figurative or tropical language or 
similitudes. In fact, Proverbs is quite distinguished from 
the Psalms and Prophets, by the comparative infrequency 
of such language. The comparison or similitude, in the 
present case, belongs not so much to the kind of diction, as 
to the poetic parallelisms everywhere employed. Scarcely a 
single proverb is completed in one clause, or short sentence. 
Nearly every verse is bimembral ; a few only are trim em- 
lb ral ; and still fewer have four or more clauses. But whether 
there are two, or three, or more clauses, they are always 
adjusted to each other by the like measure or metre. Being 
placed side by side, being of the like length, and usually 
standing in the closest connection, they form a basis of simil- 
itude, even in their external form. Their internal structure 



§ 2. Divisions of the book. 



13 



helps to confirm this idea. The parallelisms are either syn- 
onymous, or antithetic, or synthetic. The first repeat, in the 
second clause, the same or the like sentiment which is devel- 
oped in the first clause ; the second place the two clauses in 
contrast, or antithesis ; and the third continue the sentiment 
begun in the first clause, by adding something in the second, 
either confirmatory or explanatory, or else something which 
advances the movement of thought. In this case, the par- 
allelism is one of measure, or metre, rather than one of mean- 
ing. Hence the position side by side, (in the last case as 
well as in the others), the like length of the clauses, and at 
least the general correspondence of meaning, all naturally 
lead to and suggest the name . This name, moreover, 

is appropriately given to a book which consists wholly of 
language so adjusted and measured, that all parts suggest 
the idea either of comparison or of similarity. 

It is easy now, in this light, to see the special significancy 
of the Hebrew name ; while our English one does not serve 
at all to characterize the manner of the book, (as the Hebrew 
designation does), but merely its matter. Most of the latter 
(but not all) is, indeed, of a proverbial and gnomic cast ; but 
the Hebrew name shows that this matter has put on a special 
and poetic costume, in respect to measure and arrangement. 
But we have no English word which will exactly correspond 
with the Hebrew. We may as well abide, therefore, by the 
common usage, and name the book, as is wont, the Proverbs. 

§ 2. Leading Divisions of the Booh 

Independently of striking differences in the style and mode 
of composition, in various portions of the book, there are 
some palpable boundaries, which are evidently designed to 
separate one part from another. For example, there are at 
least six different titles, which serve to show where a new, 

2 



14 



§ 2. Divisions of the book. 



separate, and different composition begins, if they do not 
indicate a new and different writer. 

Prefixed to the book stands a general title, introductory to 
the whole, and comprehensive of the whole. This is in chap. 
1: 1 — 7. First, we have the name, Proverbs of Solomon, 
which in this case is generic. Then follows a designation of 
the general design and object of the book, which comprehends 
all parts of it. The book not only teaches how to acquire 
wisdom and instruction, to know justice and judgment, but 
also " to understand the words of the ivise, and their dark 
sayings" v. 6. Accordingly, where the special proverbs of 
Solomon (included in 10 : 1 — 22 : 16) break off, the tvords of 
the wise constitutes a new title, 22 : 17. Dark sayings, or 
enigmas, is also specially significant, and has reference, in all 
probability, to the closing part of the book, where are many 
of this character. But of this, more in the sequel. 

Of the general title, then, in 1: 1 — 7, we are now pre- 
pared to make some estimate. It is plain, that it stands at 
the head of a collection, which embraces some things not 
written by Solomon, but by other wise men. That this 
general title was affixed by a later compiler, will also appear 
more plainly in the sequel; for this general title evidently 
alludes to all the various contents of the book. At the 
same time, it may, and perhaps does, serve to introduce the 
first part of the work, w T hich comprises 1: 8—9: 18, for two 
titles might be deemed superfluous. This first division is 
separated from all the rest of the book, by both manner 
and matter. In what particular way these serve as a line of 
distinction or separation, must be a subsequent question; 
for at present we are concerned only with the titular signs 
of distinction. 

The second portion of the book, chap. 10: 1 — 22: 16, 
commences with a new and simple title, viz., The Proverbs 
of Solomon. In style and character these are, as we shall 



§ 2. Divisions of the book. 



hereafter see, very discrepant from the first nine chapters. 
The subordinate and internal divisions of this second part, 
it concerns us not at present to notice. 

The third division begins with 22 : 17, where the pupil is 
admonished to hear the words of the wise. These too 
are peculiar in their manner, and somewhat in their matter, 
and they extend from 22 : 17 to the end of chap. 24. We 
shall hereafter see, that they exhibit plain marks of an 
authorship different from that of Solomon. They may have 
passed under his revision ; but they differ much from his 
proverbial style. There too, as before, is a subordinate 
division, commencing with 24: 23, and ending with the 
same chapter. 

The fourth division is made by the title in 25:1, " These 
are the Proverbs of Solomon, which the men of Hezekiah king 
of Judah copied out." These have, as we might expect, many 
traits in common with the second or Solomonic division, 
in 10: 1 — 22: 16. They exhibit, also, various discrepan- 
cies of manner, which show that the plan of collecting and 
arranging here, was different from that which predominates 
through the whole of the second division. There are some 
evident tokens that this fourth division was copied out, by 
the sacred scribes of Hezekiah, from different collections or 
volumes of Proverbs, current at that period. "What be- 
longed to Solomon, in those collections, seems to have been 
selected by the scribes from among other proverbs, and 
then brought together by them into one little volume. The 
evidence here becomes quite clear, that our present book of 
Proverbs was not completed, in respect to the final and 
entire compilation, until nearly three centuries after Solo- 
mon ; (Solomon f 975 ; Hezekiah f 698). Before the labor 
of selecting and copying out, performed by the pious king's 
scribes, the contents of Prov. 25 : 1—29 : 27, would seem to 
have been circulated in connection with books of proverbs, 
different from the second division of the compound book 



m 



§ 2. Divisions of the book. 



now before us, viz. 10: 1—22: 1G. A title, which gives us 
a history like that here given, is rarely, if at all, foond 
anywhere else in the Scriptures. 

The fifth division consists of chap. 30 ; which, as its title 
indicates, appears to be the work of Agur, a son of the 
queen of Massa. But if no special title had designated this 
chapter as coming from a hand different from that of Solo- 
mon, yet the contents themselves would offer satisfactory 
proof of this. The style and manner are altogether differ- 
ent from anything else in the book of Proverbs, or in the 
Old Testament. 

The sixth division consists properly of the words of Lem- 
uel, in chap. 31 : 1 — 9 ; but if we make the division more gen- 
eral, it embraces the whole of the last chapter. Yet a sub- 
division, in this case, seems necessary, since the eulogy of the 
virtuous woman, in 31 : 10 — 31, is entirely different from 
anything else in the whole book. The song is alphabetical, 
i. e. each successive clause begins with each successive letter 
in the alphabet. This is artistic beyond any other example 
in the book ; but still the piece is one of the most simple and 
beautiful specimens of lyric eulogy that can be found in the 
Hebrew writings. Who wrote it? is a question for discus- 
sion in the sequel. It would seem probable (see Comm. on 
30 : 1), that Agur and Lemuel were brothers, and sons of 
the same queen of Massa ; and not improbably, moreover, 
the beautiful picture of the " virtuous woman" was drawn 
by the hand of that fortunate and excellent mother. What 
Lemuel writes, is in fact and confessedly only a repetition 
of the excellent advice which his mother gave him ; and 
she, who could give such advice, might also draw the picture 
in question. 

The reader must not be startled with the apprehension, 
that we are about to bring in foreigners and unknown per- 
sons, as writers of a part of the Hebrew Scriptures. If he 
will turn to the Comm. on 30: 1, he may find reason to 



§ 3. Why one common name ? 17 

believe, that Massa was held and inhabited by the sons of 
Simeon, i. e. by Hebrews, during the reign of Hezekiah, and 
probably for some time afterwards ; see 1 Chron. 4: 41 — 43. 
Inasmuch as chaps, xxx. xxxi. stand last in the book, and 
after the portion copied out by the men of Hezekiah king 
of Judah, it is probable that they were obtained last of all, 
by the final compiler of the book. I speak of compiler, 
because the inscription in 25 : 1, shows beyond all doubt, 
that the collection of the whole, and the uniting of them in 
one compact body, was a work performed at least about 
three centuries later than the time of Solomon. 

§ 3. Why is one common name given to the whole ? 

Certainly not, as we have seen, because that Solomon 
wrote the whole ; for the testimony of the book itself de- 
cides against this, beyond any appeal. And if it did not, 
the contents of the book would speak against universal 
sameness of authorship. Still, Solomon appears to have 
been the principal author. Chap. 10: 1 — 22: 16 are plainly 
his ; and so 25 : 1 — 29 : 27. These constitute a very large 
portion of the boot. From chap. x. to the end of the work, 
we have only four and a half chapters which appear to have 
come from other hands. More difficult is it to decide 
respecting the first division, viz., 1 : 8 — 9 : 18. The gen- 
eral title (1: 1 — 7), as we have seen above, refers to other 
words than those of Solomon, viz., the words of the wise, 
comp. 22:17 — 24:34; and under these we may also 
arrange chaps, xxx. xxxi., for Agur, Lemuel, and the queen- 
mother, were doubtless among the wise. But whether the 
general title to the whole compilation, (inasmuch as it refers 
to the different parts of the whole), specifically designates 
also the first nine chapters, is a question about which one i 
may be at a loss. If the title should be interpreted, as 
designating what follows immediately as belonging to Solo- 

2* 



18 §3. Why one common name? 

mon alone, then it would seem very strange, that this title 
should be formally repeated again, in 10: 1. What need 
of this, in case there was no distinction between what pre- 
cedes, and what follows, as to authorship ? Nay, the very 
fact that such a title stands in 10: 1, creates, as it has been 
alleged, a doubt of course, whether what precedes belongs 
to Solomon. The natural implication, it is said, would seem 
to be, that what had preceded did not belong to him. And 
if to this we add the circumstance, that 1: 1 — 7 is, to all 
appearance, merely a generic title of the whole book, then, 
it is further said, we seem to have no evidence before us, as 
to the authorship of 1: 8 — 9: 18. Yet this is not quite so 
conclusive, as it seems at first view to be. The plain truth 
is, that 10:1, seq. is so wholly different in its tone and 
texture from what precedes, that it doubtless belonged 
originally to a little book by itself, which had the title that 
now stands connected with it. Solomon may then have 
written some, or (so far as this matter is concerned) even 
all, of what precedes, since no adequate evidence against 
this can be made out from the title in 10: 1. But it seems 
equally probable, (as we shall see by and by), that there 
may be works of more than one author *in Part I. Still, 
the name of Solomon may be given to the whole book, for a 
reason like to that which makes the book of Psalms to be 
styled David in the New Testament, and also leads us 
to speak every day of David's Psahns, meaning thereby the 
whole book of Psalms, although David did not write much 
more than half of the book. The Proverbs of Solomon is a 
short, a good, and an easy name for the whole, — a name which 
rests on the ground of the old maxim : A potiori nomen jit 
Solomon wrote most of the book. Solomon was the author 
of at least three thousand proverbs, 1 Kings 4:32; he was 
therefore a great master of gnomic lore ; he was wise above 
all other men, and the book of Proverbs extols wisdom 
more than any other book ; and finally, he was the great 



4. Characteristics of Part I. 19 



exemplar or pattern in the art (if I may so speak) of 
gnomic writing ; and so the book may well be named as it 
now is. If it is not all Solomon's, it is nearly all after the 
general manner of Solomon ; and from him, as the highest 
master of gnomic composition, it may appropriately receive 
its name. 

§ 4. Arrangement and Characteristics of Part I., including 
1: 8—9: 18. 

(1) As arranged in the Hebrew, this part consists of two 
hundred and forty-seven verses. Nearly all of these are 
simple parallelisms, i. e. they consist of two members or 
clauses in each verse. Only eleven triplets are found, in the 
whole. 1 The distribution of the parallelisms, as to the 
different species of them, is very unequal. If I have 
reckoned rightly, there are two hundred and nine synony- 
mous parallelisms ; thirty-six synthetic ; and only four anti- 
thetic, which last are all in one group, viz. : 3: 32 — 35. In 
the whole two hundred and forty-seven verses, we have only 
eleven exceptions to himembral parallelism ; and these con- 
tain each three clauses. 

(2) From this survey of the kinds of parallelism, it is 
evident that Part I. differs widely from the style and man- 
ner of Part II. Here, c. 10 — 15 exhibit one hundred and 
eighty-six antithetic verses, and only twenty-three synthetic ; 
while c. 16 — 22: 16 reverse this order, and exhibit twenty- 
four antithetic, and one hundred and fifty-nine synthetic. 
But in neither of these two divisions of Part II. do we find 
the synonymous parallelism at all ; while in Part I. there 
are two hundred and nine to thirty-six synthetic and four 
antithetic. These parallelistic distinctions, therefore, between 

the two divisions, are of a most palpable and striking 

. 

1 These are in 1: 22, 23, 27. 3: 3. 4: 4. 5: 19. 6 . 3, 13. 7: 23. 8: 13. 
9: 2. 



20 § 4. Characteristics of Part I. 

nature. Specially is this the case with c. 10—15, where the 
antithetic equals one hundred and eighty-six, the synthetic 
are only twenty-three, and there are no synonymous parallel- 
isms. Yet this last species makes up almost the entirety of 
Part I. What bearing this may have on the sameness of 
authorship in both cases, will come in due time to be 
discussed. 

(3) Part II., i.e. 10:1—22:16, contains only three 
verses, (19:7,23. 21:20), where the triplet is employed; 
and even in these, there is synthetic parallelism. In this 
division, moreover, no subject is continued so as to comprise 
more than one verse or sentence. This last circumstance 
is very striking, when contrasted with Part I. Here the 
same subject is continued, in 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, 15, and even up 
to 25 verses ; and this occurs so constantly, that connected 
and in some degree prolonged discourse is, we may well say, 
altogether the usual order of the day. 1 I find only four 
cases out of the whole in which a subject is completed by 
one verse, viz. 3 : 30, 33 — 35. This certainly is very re- 
markable, and has nothing like to it in extent, in any other 
portions of the book of Proverbs, and very little which is 
like to it even in hind. Only 23: 29—35. 24: 30—34. 27: 
23 — 27. 31: 3 — 7, 10 — 31, afford specimens (all excepting 
one are brief) of the like nature, throughout all the rest of 
the book. Most distinctly marked, then, is Part I., as to 
treating subjects continuously, and constituting a kind of 
short discourse, rather than a gnome ; for this is the char- 
acter and tenor of the composition in this Part. All these 
things seem to plead strongly for different authors ; but the 

1 E. g. (1)8 and 9, 10—19. 20—33. (2) 1—9, 10—15, 16—19, 20— 
23. (3) 1 and 2, 3 and 4, 5 and 6, 7 and 8, 9 and 10, 11 and 12, 13—18, 
19 and 20, 21 — 24, 25 and 26, 27—29, 31 and 32. (4) 1 and 2, 3—6, 
7—9, 10—13, 14—19, 20—22, 23—27. (5) 1 and 2, 3—14, 15—21, 22 
and 23. (6) 1—5, 6—11, 12—15, 16—19, 20—23, 24—35. (7) 1—5, 
6—27. (8) 1 — 11, 12—36. (9) 1—6, 7—9, 10—12, 13—18. 



§ 4. Characteristics of Part L 



21 



discussion of this question must be deferred, for a little 
time. 

(4) A subordinate and artistic classification appears, here 
and there, in groups of tens. So 1: 10 — 19. 3: 1 — 10, 11— 
20. 4: 10—19. 8: 12—21, 22—31. The like of this we 
meet with nowhere else, in this book. I call it artistic, 
because, somewhat like that of the alphabetical Psalms, such 
an arrangement appears to be purposely made, for the sake 
of aiding the memory. 

(5) Many paragraphs in Part I. are headed with the 
address : My sonJ This appears nowhere in Part II., and 
but very rarely in the latter part of the book. But this 
address does not stand at the head of every new and distinct 
paragraph, although it serves to distinguish paragraphs so 
far as it goes. It is easy, however, to distinguish them by 
the subject-matter of their contents, without the aid of such 
an address. This is another striking point of difference 
between Parts I. and II., on which we must touch again 
hereafter. 

(6) Some of the most extended sentences in all the Bible 9 
are found in Part I. For example, the whole of chap. ii. 
(twenty-two verses) is in reality but one sentence. Then 
again, examine 1: 29 — 33, which is virtually of the same 
description; and so 6: 20—26. 7: 6—20. 8: 22—31. 9: 13 
— 18, with many others of less extent indeed, but still 
longer than is elsewhere common in the book of Proverbs. 
This is, at least, a circumstance that must be brought into 
the account, when we come to inquire about authorship. 

(7) The name of occurs nowhere in Proverbs., 
except in 2: 5, 17, and in the little work of Agur, 30: 5, 9. 
Everywhere else Fnrp is employed, to designate the Godhead* 
To speak in the language of some recent critics, the authors 
were Jehovists, and not Elohists. And such being the case^ 



1 E. g. 1: 8, 10. 2: 1. 3: 1 5 11. 4: 10, 20. 5: 1. 6: 1, 20. 7: 1. 



22 § 4. Characteristics of Part I. 



would it not seem probable, that this second chapter came 
from the hand of a person, who was different from the other 
writers ? We must weigh this in the sequel. 

(8) The poetic character of some portions of Part I , is 
greatly elevated above the rest of the book, with the excep- 
tion, perhaps, of 31: 10 — 31, which contains the exquisite 
eulogy of a virtuous woman. In solemn and awful, grandeur, 
1: 20 — 33 is hardly surpassed by any monitory passage of 
the sublime Isaiah. Indeed, it reminds one of many pas- 
sages of a like nature in this prophet. There we have that 
lofty and glowing description of Wisdom, in 8:12 — 3G, 
hardly surpassed by any scriptural writer. Such is the all- 
pervading spirit of the poet which breathes through it, that 
on an aesthetical ground it can well claim a high preemi- 
nence. Then, in 7: 6 — 27, is a picture of the "strange 
woman " which for vivacity, simplicity, and graphic power, 
has seldom been exceeded. Nothing can be more discrepant 
than these pieces are, from the poetry which pervades not 
only Part II., but the whole book, with some two or three 
exceptions of a very limited extent. The cause of this differ- 
ence in style is not merely the different subject-matter of Part 
1. and that of the rest of the book ; for there is plainly another 
and different spirit in the lofty aspirations of the first portion 
of the book from that of the rest. One is constrained to 
feel that he is in different company, when he reads Part I., 
and then the rest of the Proverbs. Still, as there is almost 
always some room for debate, where taste merely is con- 
cerned, we must not place so much reliance on this aestheti- 
cal judgment, as on plain and simple matters of fact. 

(9) In case the compositions of different authors are com- 
prised in Part I., there is still a pervading unity of design 
in the whole. The principal design of all is, to lead the 
young in the way of happiness and peace ; to warn them 
against the dangers and attractive temptations which often 
assail them ; and to show them that they will be safe only 



§ 5. Authorship of Part L 



23 



by acquiring that heavenly wisdom, which will guide them 
in attaining to the highest good. There are indeed, here 
and there, a few brief passages which are apparently iso- 
lated ; e. g. 3 : 30 — 35. But almost throughout the whole, 
the main objects which have been stated are in view. 

We have now before us the design and the individual 
characteristics of Part I. We seem, then, in some good 
measure, to have prepared the way for the discussion of the 
questions which yet remain. 

§ 5. Where and by whom was Part J., composed? 

We put first the question : Is it the work of one writer, 
or of several ? 

Some facts in respect to Part I. seem to have an impor- 
tant bearing on this question. It is a fact, that the same 
subject, specially in regard to two prominent topics, is very 
often repeated ; and this not merely by slight allusions and 
recognitions en passant, but by formal and protracted dis- 
cussions or representations. For example : The " strange 
woman " is not only described, with warnings and admoni- 
tions subjoined in 2: 16 — 19, but in the fifth chapter the 
subject is resumed, aftid carried on through the whole of it. 
In 6 : 20 — 35, it appears again with very considerable detail. 
But even this does not suffice. Chap. 7 : 1 — 27, resumes the 
subject, and carries it on through all the minutiae of tempta- 
tions. But while one is by this time ready to think, that 
nothing more can be said in regard to the strange woman, 
she makes her appearance once more, in 9 : 13 — 18. It is 
indeed true, that all these descriptions vary from each other, 
in many respects. The costume is not at all the same 
throughout. But the person is the same in all. 

What are we now to say, in view of this ? Is there any 
tolerable probability, that the same writer, within so short a 
compass, repeated his subject at length jive different times ? 



24 



§ 5. Authorship op Part I. 



Certainly this is not the usual method of writing, among 
intelligent men ; and surely not in a continuous composition. 
In a large volume, repetitions may occur through forgetful- 
ness, and the writer may be pardonable for them. But that 
such oblivion could come over a writer, in a composition so 
brief as that of Part I., is hardly to be credited. Why did 
he not say all that he had to say on this subject, in one 
continuous composition ? There seems to be no assignable 
good reason for so often quitting y and resuming the same 
subject. Certainly, it makes rather strongly against the 
unity of authorship, when we find these repetitions so fre- 
quently made. It is a much more probable solution of the 
difficulty, to suppose that the compositions of different 
writers on the same subject, are brought together here by a 
compiler, and united in one piece. It was a subject in the 
time of Solomon, which must have assumed a grave and 
threatening aspect. The golden age of that king, was one 
in which wealth and splendor, and luxury, and consequently 
sensuality, very much abounded. At least, if we are to 
judge of it by Solomon's own example, we must surely 
come to such a conclusion. This state of things seems to 
have roused up holy seers and men of God. In different 
ways they attacked a prevailing vice ; and the compiler of 
the book of Proverbs, or perhaps Solomon himself, seems to 
have selected the most urgent and persuasive appeals of 
these men, and, for the sake of impression, combined them 
all in one book. Hence the repetitions ; and these are 
indeed so frequent, that we can scarcely deem it probable 
that they were made by one and the same writer. 

But the example of repetitions on the subject of incon- 
tinence, does not stand alone. There is another, which at 
least is equally conspicuous. I refer to that of Wisdom. In 
1 : 20 — 33, her awful warnings are uttered. In chap, ii., she 
is found again giving her instructions. In 3 : 13 — 20, is a 
most attractive and beautiful picture of her. In chap. iv. 



§ 5. Authorship of Part I. 



25 



she again appears as an instructor. In v. and vi. she warns 
against various vices, specially against sloth and incontinence. 
In chap. vii. she again admonishes and advises in respect to 
the latter vice. In chap. viii. she is personified, and a most 
magnificent description of her is given. In ix. she reappears 
once more, and employs all her powers of persuasion to 
attract learners, and make them docile. The repetition here 
is on the whole even more frequent than in the former case, 
although the descriptions, in this case, excepting in chap, 
viii., are not so protracted as in the first case. Still, it is 
hardly supposable, that one and the same writer would have 
repeated the same subject so often, within so limited a piece 
of composition. It is, at least, easier to account for such 
repetition, on the ground that several writings are here com- 
bined, than on the ground that here is only one and the 
same writer. 

More especially must we feel Constrained to adopt such a 
solution here, because the discrepancy of style is so great 
between different portions of Part I. Read, for example, 
1 : 20—33, and then compare this with any other piece in this 
first part. That in chap. viii. may equal or surpass it as to 
the sublime of poetry, but hardly in the powerful impression 
which it makes. But that the two pieces are wide asunder 
in manner, is evident at first sight, and particularly to any 
one familiar with the original Hebrew. 

Admitting, then, what we seem to be constrained to admit, 
viz. that there are several authors concerned with Part I. ; 
who were they ? And was Solomon one of them ? 

On the first question we have no more to say, than that they 
are not specifically disclosed in chaps, i — ix. Nor has any 
history known to us given an account of them. We judge, 
then, only as led by the force of internal evidence, arising 
from the many repetitions of the same subject, and the differ- 
ence among them in point of style. I say style, and not 
diction merely, because the diction itself, although slightly 

3 



§ 5. Authorship of Part I, 



varied, has no such diversity as to afford any good basis for 
sound critical reasoning against sameness of authorship. One 
thing may be said in passing, in respect to diction, viz. that 
the whole book most clearly belongs not to the very late 
Hebrew. It is quite a different book from Coheleth. Chalda- 
isms and Syriasms may indeed, in a few cases, be found in 
it, but not more than in any piece of Old Testament poetry 
which is of equal length. It seems quite clear from the 
general tenor of the diction throughout the book, that it must 
have been written in the middle age of the Hebrew, i. e. 
between the time of Solomon and that of Josiah. There is 
a strong probability that most of it was in writing long before 
the time of Hezekiah ; for his sacred scribes added no new 
compositions of their own, but merely copied out some of 
Solomon's works, which already existed in other and previous 
volumes. That there was still remaining very much which 
they did not copy, is clear from the fact, that Solomon wrote 
three thousand proverbs (1 K. 4 : 32) ; while, in the whole 
book of Proverbs now before us, there are only nine hundred 
and seventeen verses, and of course considerably fewer 
proverbs, since many of them consist of two or more verses 
each. 

Writers contemporary with Solomon would be likely of 
course to employ a diction similar to his ; but the style of 
each individual would be different from that of the others ; 
and such a difference as it is natural to suppose, we may 
easily find in Part I. I concede it to be possible, that the 
same individual might, at different times, have composed the 
various pieces in Part. I.; because the discrepance between 
the parts is not sufficient of itself to settle the question deci- 
sively about sameness or severalty of authorship. But other 
reasons combine with this, to make probable a diversity of 
authorship. 

I must request the reader, in view of this, to cast his eye 
again on Nos. 1 and 2 above ; where he will see, that nearly 



§ 5. Authorship of Part I. 



27 



the wliole of Part I. is made up of synonymous parallelisms, 
while in Part II., (the expressly acknowledged genuine work 
of Solomon), there is none at all of this kind of writing. It 
is possible, that a writer, in consequence of a special and 
designed plan, might purposely adopt these different modes 
of writing. Bat plans of so artificial a nature are not com- 
mon in ancient writings, and specially in the biblical ones. 
The discrepance is so great in this case, that some design of 
this kind in the writer must be made probable, or else we 
must attribute that discrepance to difference of authorship. 
Then again, it is a fact (see No. 3), that all of Part II. 
exhibits the completion of a subject ivithin the compass of one 
and the same verse; while in Part I. there are only four 
verses which resemble Part II. in this respect. It may have 
been through design, for this plainly is possible ; but, on the 
other hand, everything wears the appearance of being written 
without any particular plan of this kind ; and if so, it is 
natural to suppose a diversity of authorship. 

The groups of tens in Part I. (No. 4), and the frequent 
addresses, My son, (No. 5), which are nowhere found in Part 
II., serve to widen the discrepancy of manner between the 
two writings. The extended and very long sentences in 
Part I. (No. 6), to which there is no resemblance in Part 
II. ; and also the use of Elohim in Part I., and there only 
as it respects the mass of the composition (No. 7) ; help to 
widen the same breach. And, as we have just seen above 
(No. 9), the poetic spirit and range in Part I. is widely dif- 
ferent from that in Part II. As I have already said, it is 
possible that the same man, through special design, might 
write in this varied manner ; but is this a probable thing ? 
It seems to me that it is not. I see no difficulty in ascribing 
to the prophets and holy men of Solomon's time, the composi- 
tion of some parts of i — ix. ; for then they stand on the same 
ground as to authority with that of Solomon's writings ; and 
the supposition of diverse authors removes most or all of the 



§ 5. Authorship of Part I. 



difficulties which have been brought to view. Why then 
may we not admit it ? 

But supposing we do admit it ; is Solomon, who unques- 
tionably wrote Part II., to come in for a share in Part L ? 
Are not the discrepancies of style and mode of arrangement 
so great between the two, as to preclude the idea of Solomon's 
authorship as to any portion of Part I. ? 

We must call to mind here, that Solomon was an exten- 
sive and very prolific writer. He not only composed three 
thousand proverbs, but wrote one thousand and five songs, 
besides his treatises (we know not how many) on botany and 
zoology. " Would they had all been spared to us ! " we are 
prone to say. Then we might peruse, to their full extent, 
the writings of the wisest man in ancient times. But a holy 
Providence knows what is best ; and it is quite probable, 
that we now have the most select and profitable part of the 
wise king's writings. But to return ; a man who wrote so 
much, and on such a variety of things, must have possessed 
an uncommon power of composing, and this power was exer- 
cised in a variety of ways. This being admitted, we might 
say, perhaps, that the last portion of Part I., viz. chaps. 
6 : 20 — 9 : 18, (which seems to be but one extended dis- 
course), may have come from the hand of Solomon. It is, 
at all events, well worthy of him. Chaps, vii. viii. and a 
part of ix., are in a style of finish, beauty, and magnificence, 
which well becomes the celebrated and learned king. This 
differs, I readily concede, quite widely from Part II. ; but 
we must call to mind, that the kind of writing is entirely 
different. The proper gnomic does not at all belong to 
Part I. ; while all of Part II. is gnomic. The vivid picture 
in chap, vii., and the lofty strains of chap, viii., well become 
what we may suppose to have been the genius and mental 
power of such a king. 

But why not extend the like reasoning to the whole of 
Part I. ? Because this would present the inexplicable diffi- 



§ 5. Authorship of Part L 



29 



culties already adverted to and described above, viz. those 
which would attach to a repetition of the same subject so often, 
and in such a narrow space, by the same individual writer. 
We have acknowledged the possibility of one and the same 
authorship throughout ; but the probability against it is too 
strong to be overcome by anything short of some positive 
evidence ; and this we have not. 

But what of the inscription or introduction, 1: 1 — 7 ? Does 
not this attribute the whole to Solomon ? This subject has 
been already discussed (§ 2. § 3.) ; and we have seen that 
this introduction has reference to the whole book, some parts 
of which, (e. g. 22 : 17 — 24 : 34 and xxx. xxxi.), are surely 
not from Solomon's pen. We have seen, then, that the 
inscription is generic, and not specific ; and that the book is 
Solomon's in a like (or even in a stronger) sense than the 
book of Psalms is David's. It does not follow, therefore, 
from this inscription, that we are obliged by it to ascribe all, 
or even any, of Part I. to Solomon. But inasmuch as other 
authors are not here expressly intimated, we may well sup- 
pose that Solomon himself brought Part I. into its present 
form, by selecting from other prophets or holy men of God, 
what would well accord with his great design, viz. to recom- 
mend wisdom, and to show its high importance. Hence the 
repetitions ; hence the discrepancies of style. And if he not 
only wrote 6 : 20 — 9 : 18, but compiled the rest, well might 
the work be attributed to Solomon. There is nothing in the 
language or manner of Part I., or in any portion thereof, 
which gives us any hint that a part of the composition is 
later than the time of Solomon. There is not one word in 
it, for example, of warning against idolatry, the crying sin 
of all times after that of Solomon. How could this have been 
omitted, when other sins are here censured in language of 
the gravest rebuke ? Everything in this part of the book 
looks like belonging to the age of Solomon, and nothing is 
against this view of the matter. And surely it will be admitted 

- 3* 



30 § 6. Characteristics of Part II. 



that Solomon performed a very appropriate work, when he 
compiled Part I. as an introduction to his own in Part II. 

I cannot prove that my supposition is true by any direct 
testimony ; neither can any one prove that it is not true. 
But in the absence of specific history, or testimony, it seems 
to me that a very probable case has been fairly made out ; 
and at all events one which relieves us from most of our 
critical difficulties. 

As to the other question proposed at the beginning of this 
section, viz. when was Part I. composed ? it is of course 
answered by the preceding remarks on the authorship, in 
case they are well grounded. The time was the age of 
Solomon. 

§ 6. Characteristics of Part II., 10 : 1—22 : 16. 

The great question of authorship is here decisively an- 
swered, by the inscription to the piece as it stands in 10 : 1. 
There is no critical ground for suspecting that this inscrip- 
tion is incorrect. The time when it was written, is of course 
also settled. What remains is, to exhibit the distinctive 
characteristics of the writing now before us. 

(1) The piece itself seems to be divided, or distinguished 
as to its method, into two leading portions, viz. x — xv. (which 
I shall name A.), and xvi— xxii. 16, (named B.). I refer to 
the hinds of parallelism respectively employed in each part, 
A. and B. The part A. has one hundred and eighty-six 
antithetic parallelisms, and twenty-three synthetic ; while, on 
the other hand, the part B. has twenty-four only of the first 
kind, and one hundred and fifty-nine of the latter, (see § 4. 
2). In the first, the antithetic is altogether predominant ; in 
the second, the synthetic. What led to such an evident 
diversity of manner in the two parts, we are unable to say. 
It seems probable, however, that, at first, the two compositions 
were separate, and were composed at different times, although 



§ 6. Characteristics of Part. II. 31 

by the same writer. Diversity may have been an object 
designed to be accomplished by the change of parallelisms. 
In other respects than that of the different kinds of parallelism, 
there is very little, in regard to any discrepancy, that deserves 
particular notice. "We shall soon see that the same general 
characteristics belong, for the most part, to both divisions. 

(2) All throughout the piece is of one tenor, as to the 
completion of sentences by a single verse; for every verse 
forms an independent and complete sentence. Rarely is there 
ever a similarity of subject in two or more continuous verses, 
so as to connect them even in a loose way. And so palpable 
is this trait, that the order of the verses might be almost 
indefinitely changed, without any serious injury to any part 
of the piece. Even the two parts of the same verse very 
rarely run into each other, so as to form one composite sen- 
tence. The exceptions to this are nearly all in one single 
chapter, viz. in 20 : 10, 11, 12, 14, 19, 21, 30. Such a rigid 
method, from beginning to end, both in A. and B., shows that 
the writer had a special design in view, viz. to insert only 
such proverbs as were complete in one verse, whatever the 
kind of parallelism might be. This method, although of 
frequent occurrence in the sequel of the book, is nowhere else 
so rigidly observed as here. 

In A., as we have seen, almost the whole of the verses 
are of the antithetic order ; and in B., of the synthetic. The 
general rule as to completing the sense, is common to 
both parts ; and so is it also in regard to the respective 
length of the parallelisms ; but in B., there are very few 
examples of the antithetic kind. In 21: 15, 20, 26, 28, 29, 
31. 22 : 3, are included nearly, if not quite, all the cases of 
this nature. This does not indeed show a difference of 
authorship, but merely a different design in the writer as to 
method, in A. and B. It looks very much as if originally 
there were two libelli, the one for antithetics, and the other 
for synthetics. It is impossible to examine the whole matter 



32 



§ 6. Characteristics of Part II. 



minutely and critically, without coming to the conclusion, 
that such an arrangement is designed, and not accidental. 
But one author, however, is admissible in the present case, 
because the general principle of systematic arrangement, in 
other respects, is so uniform throughout, and so entirely con- 
sistent, as to imply that the whole plan proceeded from one 
and the same mind. 

(3) There is another characteristic exhibited in some pas- 
sages of Part IL, which shows a peculiar artistic (if I may 
so call it) construction. This is, that the same word or words, 
or one or more words of the like import, which are leading 
and important words, are arranged consecutively in two or 
more verses, and repeated in each, although the general tenor 
of meaning in the verses themselves is different. For ex- 
ample : In 10 : 6, 7, we find and d^*i in both verses. 
So in 10 : 14, 15, finrro , stands in both ; so 10 : 16, 17, d^rf? ; 
10 : 18, 19, inato and T^nsi? ; 10 : 20, 21, both p^s and rib ; 
10: 28, 29, d^i^i; 10: 31, 32, rvb&ntt. All these (in one 
chapter) look like designed arrangement. So also 11: 8, 9, 
firy and sisin; ; 11: 10, 11, rmp and rvng ; 11: 25, 26, ii^a ; 
11: 30, 31, p*i% . Again, jn 12 : 5, 6, 7, 'w?^h ; 12 : 15, i*6, 
fci-jK. In 14: 12, 13, fctwna ; 14: 17, 18, t&yk; 14: 26, 27, 
hirn nao^ . In 15 : 31, 32, nrtsta . In 16 : 27, 28, 29, . 
In 18 : 6, 7, i*ra ; 18 : 10, 11, ts> and ; 18 : 18, 19, twvra . 
— These are specimens. More might be added ; but these 
will suffice. Such a thing is evidently the result of designed 
grouping ; and probably it was done in order to aid the 
memory of the pupil. 

The like to this, and for a like purpose, may be seen in 
15 : 33 and 16 : 1 — 7, 9, 11, where the word filing occurs ten 
times in succession. So in 16 : 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, occurs 
(partly in the plural) five times. And the like to all this is 
sometimes found in the Psalms, probably thus composed for 
the sake of easy remembrance. 

A few (very few) cases occur, of like matter in two con- 



§ 6. Characteristics of Part II. 



33 



tinuous verses ; even then each niay be taken separately, and 
be disconnected without injuring either verse. But there 
is no general plan in such an arrangement ; and each verse, 
although similar, is in fact independent of the other. 

There is, moreover, throughout Part II., a general corre- 
spondence in the measure or length of the clauses, or verses. 
Generally, the first clause has four words, and the second 
three ; but sometimes they stand four and four, and five and 
three ; and in a few cases, three and three. In a few cases, 
also, where small words are attached to larger ones by a 
Maqqeph, there are nine, and even ten and eleven words ; 
see 17: 2, 8. 19 : 18. 21: 1. 

In some cases, (but few), there is, in the second clause, a 
virtual repetition of the sentiment of the first ; e. g. in 11: 7. 
14: 19,26. 16: 16. 17: 6. 18: 3. Sometimes (very rarely) 
the second clause is exegetical of the first ; as in 15 : 3. In 
a few cases, the second clause gives the reason or ground of 
the first; e. g. 16: 26. 21: 7. Comparatives by as some- 
times appear ; as in 10 : 26. 11 : 32 (£ being implied). The 
comparative degree by }°2 is not unfrequent ; as in 15: 16, 
17. 16: 8, 19. 17: 10. 21 : 19. 

We must not omit to mention, that there is a considerable 
number of cases, in which there is a repetition of a preceding 
proverb, in a different place. Thus 14:12, and 16:25, 
(comp. 21: 2). 21: 9 and 19 ; and so a repetition of one clause 
of a verse ; e. g. 10 : 1 and 15 : 20 ; 10 : 2 and 11: 4 ; 10 : 
15 and 18 : 11 ; 15 : 33 and 18 : 12 ; and specially is this 
identical as to one clause, in 11: 21 and 16: 5 ; 14: 31 and 
17: 5; 19: 12 and 20 : 2. 

This last circumstance suggests to our consideration, that 
there were various sources from which Part H. must proba- 
bly have been derived. We cannot well suppose that Solo- 
mon sat down to the composition of Part II. as he would in 
order to write chap, viii., i. e. his eulogy on Wisdom. In the 
last case, he probably drew directly from his own concep- 



34 § G. Characteristics of Part II. 

tions, without reliance on any other writing. But in the case 
of mere gnomes or popular proverbs, he was in quite a dif- 
ferent position. Many, perhaps most, of these proverbs were 
such as common sense and long experience had for substance 
already suggested to the minds of intelligent men. They 
were floating* among the common people, and subjected 
thereby to more or less disfigurement or change. Solomon's 
mind, under divine influence, could easily recognize such of 
these proverbs as were true and useful ; and, acknowledging 
them to be so, he transferred them into written language, so 
that they might be rendered permanent in their true and 
proper sense, and be thus guarded against alterations. These 
common maxims of life, thus sanctioned by him when in such 
a state, became authoritative and general truths. Of course, 
w r e may properly assign the authorship of them to him ; for 
he selected them, adopted them, and published them as con- 
sonant with his own views. They were only of traditional 
currency before this ; but now they became a part of Scrip- 
ture, under the sanction of Solomon. 

We are obliged, as it seems to me, to account in this way 
for the many repetitions, in Part II., of the same things. One 
sole concipient writing, purely from his own mind, in a compo- 
sition like this, would never have repeated the same things 
so often, and within so limited a space. His memory could 
scarcely be so treacherous, as to forget what he had just said. 
The only probable way, then, in which these repetitions came 
to be introduced, was through the medium already described. 
If Solomon wrote three thousand proverbs, he must have 
been a great lover of gnomic lore, and probably must have 
read everything of that nature which was then in circulation. 
Doubtless, at times, he selected whole paragraphs from other 
collections, and, transferring them to his own, just as they 
were, and because he assented to the truth of them, he 
transcribed them in the state in which they stood in other 
Mss. In this way, we may suppose many of the maxims in 



§ 6. Characteristics of Part II. 35 



Part II. to have been transferred from other collections of 
gnomes, and when the transfer was made, it was (as usual 
in ancient times) made without curtailing or expunging. 
Hence came about the repetitions in question, because they 
were connected with other matter which was not repetitious. 
We may suppose, that most well-read persons of that day 
would recognize at once what was new, and what had been 
transferred. We cannot now do what they could then do ; 
but we can easily see how the whole matter of repetition 
might take place ; and that without supposing the wise king 
to have forgotten himself, or rather, to have forgotten what 
he had just written. The proverbs transferred from com- 
mon life into Part IL, are now of course just as valid, by the 
sanction of Solomon, as they would have been, had he com- 
posed them all de novo. 

I see no other probable way of accounting for the phe- 
nomenon in question. It seems hardly feasible to make out 
the probability of a de novo composition ; and specially at 
the expense of taxing the writer's memory with failure, and 
denying him a consciousness of what he had just written. 
But as the matter has now been represented, we find no 
serious difficulties attendant upon the repetition of the same 
gnome. It does seem probable, at least, that some such 
cause occasioned the repetition now in question ; for the 
only motive of repetition, independent of this consideration, 
must have been the special importance of the matter 
repeated. But investigation will show, that in the present 
instance it could not have sprung from this source, because 
the things repeated, to say the least, are not more important 
than many other things not repeated. 

We must call to mind here, that Solomon wrote or com- 
posed some three thousand proverbs ; while in the book 
before us, less than one third part of these are contained. 
He might then, in compiling Part II., have selected much 
from his own previous UbeUL Who can show even a proba- 



36 



§ 6. Characteristics of Part II. 



bility that he did not ? Still, one would naturally suppose 
that, in selecting and transferring his own compositions, he 
would take more liberty of omitting what was repetitious, 
than he would when extracting from others. Most proba- 
bly, then, the repetitions occur in cases of extracting from 
others, while we may still believe that Solomon selected 
much from his own previous writings, which was adapted to 
his design in the writing of Part II. 

(4) Ewald (as usual) finds a vgtsqov nooteoov in the 
order of Parts I — IV. He arranges them thus. (1) Part 
II. (2) Part IY. (3) Part I. (4) Part III. Hitzig 
cleaves to the present order of parts, in our Hebrew 
Scriptures. Such being the case, we may well believe, 
since the difference between them is so great, that the 
reasons of Ewald for his arrangement are not of a very 
cogent nature ; more specially so, since Bertheau has shown 
(Einl. § 3), that there are no valid arguments for such an 
arrangement. Part II., which Ewald ranks as the oldest, 
he attributes to a period of two hundred years after the 
death of Solomon. Part IV., which he ranks next, was 
composed, as the inscription shows, in the time of Hezekiah, 
i. e. about three hundred years after Solomon. Still later, 
as he avers, came Part I., which he ranks as the third in 
order; and last of all, Part III, that is, 22 : 17—24: 34. 

I shall but briefly discuss this matter, inasmuch as the 
whole thing seems to me quite arbitrary. Ewald alleges, 
(1) That there is a great diversity between Parts I. and II., 
as to their form or manner. — This, we have not only 
acknowledged, but also have shown at length above. But 
this proves nothing as to the time of composition. Contem- 
porary writings may be, and often are, exceedingly diverse. 
He says that Part II. has the air of antiquity, i. e. it is 
characterized by even measure, sentences complete in one 
verse, and strongly ' marked parallelisms. But conceding 
this, (which indeed is true) , on the ground which we occupy 



§ 6. Characteristics of Part II. 37 

it does not touch the case. Solomon, as we have seen, 
probably selected proverbs from those in common use, and 
reduced them to writing. The older they were, the better ; 
for in this case the currency of them would meet with no 
objection. All nations, in their more uncultivated state, are 
attached to gnomic sayings, and abound in them. Culti- 
vated nations more seldom form new proverbs. Before 
books are written, gnomes are the boohs of the multitude. 
The intelligence of keen observers strikes out many a true 
and happy thought, which is the result of oft-repeated expe- 
rience. So with the Hebrews at all events, who were surely 
a talented nation. A large portion of Part II. may have 
been traditionally current, before Solomon's day ; and well 
may his book, containing more or less of selections from 
proverbs long current, wear to us the air of great antiquity. 
But this is nothing to the purpose of showing, that Part II. 
was written long before the other Parts. The truth is, that 
the difference in manner between Parts I. and II., is appa- 
rently a matter of design. In other words, the writer or 
writers of Part I. intended to write continued and connected 
discourses ; while the compiler of Part II. intended just the 
contrary. But this is a matter which has nothing to do with 
the time when these Parts were respectively written. 

(2) Ewald objects to the first two Parts being coetaneous, 
that the difference in language between them is very great. 

But even if we allow this, it cannot prove anything of 
consequence. If much of Part II. consists of proverbs 
long in use, it of course exhibits more or less of the older 
language. Besides this, the fact that the gnomes in Part II. 
are all made up of one sentence each, and that they are 
brief, pointed, compressed, popular maxims, is enough to 
account for variation, in some measure, from the diction of 
the continuous and connected discourses in Part I. To 
establish his point, Ewald produces some four or five words 
and phrases in Part IL, which are not found in Part I. But 
4 



38 



§ 6. Characteristics of Part II. 



this proves nothing ; for different compositions and different 
subjects of course demand different language. On the other 
hand, there are many leading and characteristic expressions 
and words, which are common to Parts I. and II. For 
example : xfirm , rpa; , ana , n^s? aft , o^n y$ , rton (plur.) 
rnt adulteress, nbenti , flTo nkj , 5h and 2£Fi put 

together, tiba , ft^ttK ? ]iti3 H tf an ^ niany others. If any one 
will take his Hebrew Concordance, and trace these words in 
it, he will see that they belong in common to Parts I. and 
II. This is enough to overwhelm all the cases produced by 
Ewald, of peculiar usage in Part II. ; even if they were in 
point as far as they go. Every one who reads and com- 
pares, will see that there are very many expressions which 
are alike in both Parts. The compositions, as we have 
seen, are in all probability not all from the same hand ; but 
that they are contemporaneous, or nearly so, seems to be 
impressed on the diction and on the thoughts everywhere 
to be met with. 

(3) Ewald asserts, that the external relations apparent in 
Parts I. and II., are diverse and unlike. 

In proof of this, he appeals to the case of lawless 
marauders wandering through the country, as brought to 
view in 1: 11—19. 2: 12—15. 4: 14—17. It is true, how- 
ever, that the very nature of the composition in Part II., 
(all of it introducing and concluding a subject in each 
verse), renders such a prolonged description as we find in 
Part I. impossible. But 12: 6 compared with 1: 11, will 
show that both Parts recognize one and the same thing as 
to predatory excursions. The passage in 3:31, which 
cautions against envying those who oppress, Ewald thinks 
peculiar to Part I. But the numerous passages in Part IL, 
which threaten the rapid loss of unjust gain, and the speedy 
perishing of the wicked who are rich, surely correspond to 
and expand the idea in 3 : 31. 

These, then, are all the reasons which Ewald finds, to dis- 



\ 



§ 7. Characteristics of Part III. 39 



prove contemporaneousness. Yet these are surely but a broken 
reed to lean upon. On the other hand ; what will he say 
to the thoughtless suretyship which is described and censured, 
in 6 : 1 — 4, and also in like way, in 11: 15. 17: 18. 20 : 16 ? 
All ihis seems to indicate a sameness of period for both 
compositions. 

The result, then, seems plainly to be this, viz., that Parts 
I. and II. were written at or near the same period ; that in 
all probability they passed through the hands of Solomon, 
as both compiler and original author ; and as we have direct 
testimony to his authorship in respect to Part II., in the 
sense above explained, so we have probable evidence from 
the position and nature of Part I., and its adaptedness as an 
introduction to the book, that it was put in its present place 
by the wise king, and of course sanctioned by his authority, 
even if it were not compiled in part by him. If the last 
three chapters of Part I. are his composition, (and this they 
would seem to be), then is it altogether probable that he 
compiled the rest. The general introduction in 1: 1 — 7, 
seems to come from the hand of the latest compiler of the 
book, as it relates, in part, to portions of the work written 
some three hundred years after the time of Solomon. 

In this general conclusion, as to the contemporaneous rise 
of Parts I. and II., Bertheau seems fully to agree. At least 
he deems Ewald's arguments as making nothing against 
this. Hitzig adopts the present order of the Parts as the 
true one ; and he observes, in confirmation of this, that the 
five books of the Psalms were originally collected and 
arranged as they now stand. 

§ 7. Characteristics of Part III., 22: 17—24: 34. 

The general inscription in 1: 1 — 7, refers to the words 
or the wise, as one thing which the book is designed to 
teach, v. 6. Here now, in 22 : 17, we find that same title, in an 



40 § 7. Characteristics of Part III. 

exhortation to give a hearing ear to such words : " Hear the 
words of the wise." Again, in 24: 23, some additions "o f$<* 
words of the ivise are said to be made ; and these are . 
tained in 24:28—34. Here, then, we have at least two 
collections of those vjords of the wise. In the first, the 
compilation, My son, is several times repeated ; but in the 
second part it does not at all appear. — Our next question 
is : How is Part III. characterized ? 

(1) In Part III., the construction of the verse or metre 
is nothing like so regular as in Part II. We have indeed 
here (as there) verses of eight, seven, and six words ; but 
they stand mingled with others of eleven words, (22: 29. 
23:31, 35); of fourteen words, (23:29); and even of 
eighteen words, (24: 12). In some of these instances, dis- 
tinct traces of proper parallelism can hardly be discovered. 
They are a kind of measured prose. 

Here, moreover, the parallelisms are all synthetic, except- 
ing only 24: 16, which is antithetic. Here also sentences 
completed in one verse are the exception, (and a small one) ; 
those in two or more, are the rule. Very often, three 
verses are combined in a 'sentence, e. g. 23: 1 — 3, 6 — 8, 19 
— 21. In one case, 24: 30 — 34, we have five verses; and 
in 23 : 29 — 35 (virtually one compound sentence) we have 
eve^i seven verses. All this makes a great variety and a 
miscellaneousness in the composition. In general, Part III. 
is strikingly different from anything which precedes it. 

(2) Here, as in Part I., we have the address : My son. 
And where this is not prefixed to a paragraph, an address 
is often made to the second person singular, thou. 

(3) As to the arrangement of the proverbs here, some- 
times those similar in their tenor are brought together ; 
e. g. 23 : 15, seq. But in general, no pains appears to have 
been taken to make out arrangements regularly consecutive. 
Neither the compiler, nor the original concipients, seem to 
have felt the necessity of subjecting themselves to the ordi- 



§ 7. Authorship of Part III. 41 



nary gnomic rules ; for in some places we have, as it were, 
short parables; e. g. 23: 29—35. 24: 30—34. 

On the whole, then, the discrepancy between Part III. 
and the preceding Parts, is striking, and would of itself 
raise doubts in the mind of the reader, as to identity of 
authorship in each of the Parts. But when to all this is 
superadded the distinctive titles in 22: 17, and 24: 23, it 
would seem that there is little room for critical doubt, that 
the authors of Part III. are different from that or those of 
the preceding Parts. But, 

(4) When was Part III. first written ? Ewald places it 
as contemporaneous with Part I., i. e. according to him, 

9 about one hundred years later than Part II. "We have seen 
that he gives no satisfactory reasons for assigning an earlier 
period to Part II., and a later one to Part I. So far as 
language or phraseology is concerned, there is much reason 
to believe that all three Parts are nearly of the same age. 
E. g. S£v) and are joined here, as in Parts I. II. ; 
22:26 and 6:1/17:18. So Parts II. III. have many 
expressions in common; e. g. d^nVd, 22:21 and 10:26; 

rmw , (an adulteress), 22: 14 and 23: 27; nibinnn, 
24': 6 and 11: 14. 20 : 18 ; tra? WHp* , 24 : 24 and 11 : 26, 
(the latter having aixb ) ; sn in 23 : 6, and *pS Sia in 
22: 9. Ewald says, that the warning against sedition, 
24:21, is peculiar to Part III.; but 17:11 and 16:14 
show that this subject is fully recognized in Part II. 
Thoughtless and hasty suretyship is denounced in 22 : 27, 
and in 20 : 16 also is the same thing virtually the subject of 
reprobation. On the score of language, then, no striking 
differences can be made out, but, as we have seen above, 
quite the contrary. 

(5) By ivhom was Part III. compiled ? To this question we 
can give no definite answer, because the title (in 22 : 17) does 
not name any author. Was the compiler, then, probably the 
same who compiled Parts I. II. ? We cannot answer this 

4* 



42 



§ 7. Authorship of Part III. 



question with any pretensions to certainty ; but there is a 
probability still in this case, which appears somewhat strong. 
The compiler presents himself as speaking, only in 22 : 17 — 
21. The rest of the piece contains the words of the wise. 
But the compiler's own words are too few for us to draw 
any conclusions from them. The address or exhortation in 
them is of a tenor like to that of the addresses in Part I. ; 
although the style of one portion of the address, viz., in 22 : 19 
— 21, is Afferent from that in the addresses of Part I. The 
discrepancies and the resemblances in general have already 
been stated. There can 1be hardly any room to doubt, that 
the words of the wise (22 : 17) forms a new category, stand- 
ing at the head of something superadded. The only ques- 
tion is — Did Solomon, (in case he compiled Parts I. II., as 
seems quite probable), also add Part III. to the others which 
he had compiled ? For my own part, I feel quite disposed 
to answer this question in the affirmative. It need not follow 
from this, that Solomon himself compiled the different por- 
tions of Part III., or even that he wrote the exhortation in 
22 : 17 — 21. He might have lighted on this collection, with 
its introduction, made by some prophet or man of God in 
his time, and, approving of it, have appended it to Part II., 
his principal work. But that Part III. is not his own proper 
composition, seems to be quite probable from the discrepance 
of this Part from the others, in respect to metres, length 
of parallelisms, and other external marks of distinction. 
Specially is this made probable by the fact, that emphasis 
is often made in Part III:, by the express repetition of the 
pronoun; e. g. ttx tja in 22: 19; aorj 23: 14, 15, 19, 
20. 24: 6, 27, 32. This usage is very rare elsewhere, in 
the whole book. 

We may easily believe that Solomon, who had such an 
attachment to gnomic lore, meeting with Part III. in its 
present form, and so made ready as it were to his hand, 
selected it to be added to his own little volume. Some of it 



§ 7. Authorship of Pakt III. 43 



may even have been taken from other parts of his own 
works. At all events, however this may be, we cannot well 
suppose that it was added to Parts I. II. after the time of 
Hezekiah, when Part IV. was added; see 25 : 1. Had not 
Part III. already been in existence before this, it would of 
course have been put after what is now Part IY. in the 
compilation ; for had it been in existence, and not been 
already united to Parts L II., then it was almost a matter of 
course for the men of Hezekiah to have put Solomon's work, 
now in Part IV., immediately after Part II., so that all the 
writings of Solomon might be connected together. We can 
imagine no motive why late compilers should insert Part III. 
between Part II. and the present Part IV. It would of 
course have been postponed. 

We may then take it as altogether probable, that Parts 
I — III. were first collected and put together, and were in 
circulation, and probably had long been so, when the men of 
Hezekiah made an addition, by collecting from various writings 
of Solomon that stood in other collections, that which now 
belongs to Part IV., and joining this with the other preced- 
ing Parts. We may account for the sameness of one clause 
in 20 : 18 and 24 : 6, and so of one in 11 : 14 and 24 : 6, by 
the supposition, that the compiler of Part III. had drawn 
from sources which contained some things belonging to Sol- 
omon. Particularly may this principle be applied to 6 : 10, 
11 and 24 : 33, 34. The first was either in some composition 
adopted by Solomon, and incorporated with Part I., or else 
came from some of Solomon's libelli of proverbs, which do not 
appear in his works now extant. The compiler of Part III. 
met with the same libellus, and extracted 24 : 33, 34, from it. 
The same writer, in the same continuous book, would scarcely 
have made such repetitions. On any other ground than the 
one now suggested, they can hardly be accounted for. 

By whomsoever composed, Part III., although it differs 
much from the preceding one, cannot well be placed below 



44 



§ 8. Characteristics of Part IV. 



the preceding Part. It is full of life and power, and in point 
of graphic description, it is not exceeded by anything in the 
whole book ; see, for example, 23 : 29—35. 24 : 30—34. 

One word on a subordinate division of Part III., which 
commences with a new title in 24 : 23, running thus : tW^qb 
ri|tf , i. e. these also belong to the wise, the b being a h 
auctoris, as in the Psalms. The tea settles the question, 
that there is a new addition appended here. It compares 
well with the preceding division, both in spirit and in manner. 
It was indeed well worthy of reception. The probability of 
course is, that it was derived from a source different from 
that of the preceding division. The shows the design of 
the compiler, viz. that the two portions of Part III. should 
be inseparably connected. 

§ 8. Characteristics of Part IV. chap, xxv — xxix. 

The authorship, and of course the time of compilation, is here 
made certain. This Part contains the Proverbs of Solomon, 
which the men of Hezehiah, king of Judah, copied out, 25 : 1. 
The men of Hezehiah must of course mean, the sacred scribes in 
the service of the king, or his counsellors. Among these doubt- 
less were many excellent men, who would zealously perform 
such a labor. The verb ^p'wn , rendered copied out, lit. 
means, to transfer from one place to another. In respect to a 
writing, this must mean, to transcribe, or to copy. Sept., very 
happily : i^eyodipavTo. This shows that other volumes, or 
portions of volumes, comprising the gnomic compositions of 
Solomon, were then in circulation, besides what is contained 
in Parts I. II. above. From them the scribes of the pious 
king made a selection, and chaps, xxv — xxix. is the fruit of 
this selection. We must notice the characteristics. 

(1) In respect to parallelisms, there are ninety-three syn- 
thetic, and thirty-five antithetic ones, but no synonymous 
members of verses. In respect to the metres, they very 



§ 8. Characteristics of Part IV. 45 



much resemble those in Part II., the verses mostly consisting 
of eight, seven, and six words. In some cases, two closely 
connected verses contain of course many more ; e. g. 25 : 6, 7, 
comprise twenty words ; and 25 : 21, 22 amount to eighteen 
words. The antithetic verses (=35) are strenuously and 
regularly antithetic. But in chaps, xxv — xxvii., most of the 
verses are comparisons^ either in the strict, or in the freer 
sense. In many, we can hardly make out a parallelism ; 
e. g. 25 : 8, 9, 10, 21, 22. 26 : 18, 19. 27 : 1. 29 : 12. Yet 
there is a symmetry even here, in respect to the form of the 
clauses. We meet here with repeated instances of a proverb 
extended to several verses ; which is altogether different from 
Part II. There are some passages, e. g. 26 : 23, 28, and 27 : 
23, 27, which have a lofty poetic spirit, quite different from 
that of common gnomes. 

(2) There is a striking resemblance in Part IV. to Part 
II., in regard to the repetition of the same word or phrase in 
different verses. E. g. 25 : 1 and 2, n^zb-Q ; 25 : 4 and 5, 
ftfl ; 25 : 8, 9, 10, ; 25 : 11, 12, am ; 25 : 19, rrns Wi , 
and 25 : 20, Stfjg dii ; 26 : 3 — 12, b*M (sing, or plur.) in each 
of the ten verses ; 26 : 13 — 16, in each verse ; 26 : 20, 
21, d*»2£?; 27: 1, 2, l&iirtn and ^rn ; 27:5, 6, mm and 
srna . So in 27 : 7, 9, pifra and ptyz ; 28 : 4, 7, 9, ; 
28 : 3, 6, ; 28 : 2, 16, tpay ; 28 : 12, 28, mnpj dip ^29 : 
2, 16, fcip^ nia?M and nin")2 ; 28: 14 and 29: 1, 
rteps ; 29 : 8, 10, • All this looks like designed selec- 
tion and arrangement, in such a way as to attract attention, 
and to help fix passages in the memory ; and this may be 
called Solomonic ; for it is very common in Part II. 

(3) The point of striking difference between Part II. and 
IV. is, that in the latter, there are many cases of two or more 
verses connected in one sentence, which is never the case in 
Part II. ; e. g. 25 : 6 and 7, 9 and 10, 21 and 22. 26 : 18 and 
19. 27 : 15 and 16. Moreover, in 26 : 23—28, there are six 
verses united ; and in 27 : 23—27, there are five. 



46 



§ 8. Characteristics of Part IV. 



(4) Part IV. shows that the men who compiled it were 
different from the compiler of Part II. One and the same 
compiler or author would never have repeated, in Part IV., 
so many things which are said in Part II. Compare, for 
example, the following passages : 25 : 24 with 21:9; 26 : 13 
with 22 : 13 ; 26 : 15 with 19 : 24 ; 26 : 22 with 18 : 8 ; 27 : 
13 with 20 : 16 ; 27 : 15 with 19 : 13 ; 27 : 21 with 17 : 3 ; 

28 : 6 with 19 : 1 ; 28 : 19 with 12 : 11 ; 29 : 22 with 15 : 18, 
(and more there are of the same kind which it is needless to 
cite). No one continuous writer ever would have repeated 
himself so often. But others, who selected from his works, 
might easily come to insert such repetitions, because they 
stood connected with other matter that surrounded them, and 
which was cited. 

Different is the case in regard to repetitions of Part III., 
viz. the words of the wise. We find only one instance of 
this, viz. 28: 21 and 24: 23. In respect to repetitions of 
itself in Part IV., there is only one example, viz. 26: 12 and 

29 : 20 ; but even here, there is so much variation of the 
latter from the former, that a case of repetition can hardly 
be made out. So in 28 : 12, 28 : 28, and 29 : 2, there is the 
like general sentiment, but the costume is different. 

On the whole it is clear, from the view given above of 
repetitions in Parts II. and IV., that the compilers of both 
drew from the same original sources, whether they were the 
works of Solomon, or of others. And these close resem- 
blances serve to confirm what 25: 11 asserts, viz. that Part 
IV. is made up, or compiled, from the works of Solomon. 

Ewald says, that the diction of Part IV. serves to show 
that it sprung from Northern Palestine. But as he has not 
given specific examples, nor any reasons for such an opinion ; 
as there is nothing in history respecting Hezekiah, which 
serves to confirm the notion, that he sent sacred scribes 
thither in order to collect proverbs ; and specially, as we can 
discover no diagnostics in this case of a provincial dialect ; 



§ 9. Characteristics of Part V. 47 

I do not see any ground for such an assertion. Most of all 
did Solomon's works circulate at and near Jerusalem; and 
there, most probably, were found the works from which 
Part IV. is selected. 

Finally, this Part, although compiled by the men of Heze- 
kiah, has Solomon for its real author ; and therefore is of the 
same authority as the preceding Parts of the book. 

§ 9. Characteristics of Part V. chap. xxx. 

In the Commentary on 30 : 1, the title to this Part is fully 
discussed ; and the attempt is made to show, that the most 
probable meaning of v. 1 is this : " The words of Agur, the 
son of her who was obeyed in Massa," [i. e. of the queen of 
Massa]. It is there shown, that Massa was probably a re- 
gion or city, lying east of the gulf^of Akaba, once possessed 
by the Amalekites, who at last were expelled by the sons of 
Simeon. These last settled down in the room of the expelled, 
during the time of Hezekiah, whose scribes copied out Part 
IV. of the book of Proverbs ; 1 Chron. 4 : 41 — 43. It seems 
natural, then, to suppose that Parts V. and VI. must have 
been united to the book of Proverbs, after Part IV. had 
been joined to it ; and the arrangement itself speaks for this. 
Whether the addition was made by the same men of Heze- 
kiah, who selected and added Part IV., we have no means 
of determining with certainty. But in itself it seems quite 
probable. It is clear, that Agur was a son of the queen of 
Massa ; and, as king Hezekiah reigned some twenty-nine 
years, and as the Simeonites may have made their conquest 
of Massa and settled there in the earlier part of his reign, 
they may, as living in a distant country, have had, and prob- 
ably they did have, an Emir or prince of their own to rule 
over them ; and this prince may have been the father both 
of Agur and Lemuel, for they seem to be brothers, and sons 
of the same mother ; see on 30 : 1. The queen in question, 



48 § 9. Characteristics op Part V. 



may have been such in consequence of the demise of her 
husband, who gave her his throne ; and on this account, as 
chap. xxx. was written during her reign, Agur is spoken of as 
being her son. A distinguished woman she must have been, 
according to 30 : 1, 31 : 1. It is not said of Agur, however, 
that he was a king; yet of Lemuel (probably his older 
brother) this is said, 31:1. But as Agur was the son of a 
queen, he of course was a prince. 

Chap, xxx., then, came in all probability from the hand of a 
Hebrew. So the language itself of course indicates. There 
is nothing specially provincial in the diction ; although the 
form and manner of the composition is altogether sui generis. 
If the sacred scribes of Hezekiah selected this composition 
of Agur, and judged it meet to be joined to the rest of the 
book of Proverbs, we should be satisfied that it properly 
belongs there. 

(1) In regard to the parallelisms here, all but three are 
of the synthetic order. Three are partially antithetic. In 
regard to the quantity or space assigned to one and the same 
subject, some are completed in one verse ; others in two ; 
more frequently there are three verses, as in 18 — 20, 21 — 23 ; 
sometimes four, as in 24 — 28, and once even six, 1 — 6. The 
length of the verses here is often widely discrepant from that 
in Part II. ; for here are verses of eleven, twelve, thirteen, 
and even twenty-four words (v. 4). 

Strict correspondence of the parallelisms is not regarded 
much here. Many of them, likewise, are but little more 
than measured prose, excepting the poetic spirit which reigns 
in them. This, and the kind of metre belonging to them, 
probably contributed to place this composition in a book of 
poetic proverbs. 

There are some things in chap. xxx. which are altogether 
peculiar. The repeated reckoning there of two things (v. 7) ; 
of four things in vs. 11 — 14; then of three increased by a 
fourth in vs. 15, \% 21, 29 ; then of four things in v. 24; is 



§ 9. Characteristics of Part V. 49 

unlike in extent to anything else in the whole Bible, except- 
ing in Amos i. and ii., where we have three and then a 
fourth added, eight times in succession. There is, in our 
text, a kind of play of the fancy upon the numbers ; and the 
gradual increase, first from two to three, then to three with 
an appendix, and then four, shows a design or plan of 
arrangement in the writer's mind. It is plain, indeed, 
that the design of Agur is not to develop merely maxims 
or rules of conduct. In fact, there is little of precept here, 
excepting it be obtained in the way of making out deductions 
from what is said in the representations of things. Some of 
the matter is very grave, and attains to a high moral sub- 
limity ; see vs. 2 — 6, where the unsearchable nature of God 
and the excellence of his truth are strikingly developed. 
Then come some excellent sentiments, in vs. 7 — 9. Then 
follow four classes of individuals, who seem to be held up 
to indignation, vs. 11 — 14. Next, we have one of the rvft^n 
(enigmas), which seem to be plainly adverted to in the gen- 
eral introduction to the book, 1:6. It is difficult to make 
out the moral of vs. 14, 15. The insatiability of the things 
named there belong to mere natural objects, and has no 
moral character. It is probable, that under these Fri^fi is 
couched some moral truth, which is designedly left for the 
reader to discover if he can. Perhaps the passage relates to 
avarice ; perhaps to sensual appetites which are nourished, 
and which grow stronger by indulgence. More difficult still 
would it be, to find out the design of vs. 18, 19, were it not 
that v. 20 gives us some clue. The amount of what is here 
said seems to be, that wickedness may sometimes be so con- 
cealed, that no traces of it can be discovered by any one, 
besides those who commit it. The design of vs. 21—23 is 
like that of vs. 11 — 14, viz. to hold up to our dislike several 
incongruous things. On the other hand, in vs. 25 — 28, there 
are four notable examples of sagacity and active industry 
and order, which are designed to stimulate us. Last of all, 

5 



50 



§ 9. Characteristics of Part V, 



come exemplars of comeliness and strength. Nothing in all 
these particulars seems to be dependent on the manner of 
their consecution. They are seized as they occur to the 
mind, while it is employed in the excogitation of something 
.which is designed to be enigmatical. Consequently, there 
is no mutual connection between them, and each is independ- 
ent of the other. And after all that we can do in the way 
of inquiry, such passages as vs. 15, 16, and also vs. 29 — 31, 
remain in a good measure among the real niTtfi. They 
seem to be written more for the sake of entertaining and 
interesting the reader, (if I may so speak), than for his direct 
instruction. They are evidently designed to whet his curi- 
osity, and set him on the alert, in order that he may educe 
from them something useful. Surely, such an object is not 
beneath the office of him who teaches youth, in a book like 
the present, which has not a few passages of witty and 
sarcastic irony. Why should this be entirely excluded? 
Did not Elijah use the most cutting irony, in speaking to 
the priests of Baal? A heathen moralist has said, that 
" ridicule sometimes cuts deeper than severity." And when 
the wise king has said, that " a sluggard, who dips his hand 
into the dish, will not so much as bring it to his mouth," in 
order that he may feed himself ; and also that " the sluggard 
will not turn himself over in bed, but must be rolled over by 
others," has he not uttered sarcasm, and held up such a man 
to ridicule ? Even so with Agur. When he says that " there 
is a generation, — O how lofty are their eyes, and their eye- 
lids lifted up ! " (v. 13), and again, when he says that " there 
are four things which the earth cannot endure," and counts 
among these " a servant who comes to bear rule," and " an 
ugly woman who comes to be married," does he not teach in 
the way of sarcasm ? vs. 21—23. Verses 18—21 are indeed 
of a peculiar tenor ; but the point to be illustrated, viz. con- 
cealed wicked doings, is vividly illustrated by the similes 
adduced ; although in the last of them there is a boldness 



§ 10. Characteristics op Part VI. 51 



of illustration that seems somewhat hazardous, in the view 
of things as now regarded by us. 

On the whole, this chapter has no parallel, and even no 
similar, in all the Bible. And still, the moral and religious 
tone of it is high. Look specially at 1 — 6, 8 and 9, 17, 32, 
33. The language is vivid and poignant throughout. And 
if ni^nr; comes within the plan of the whole collection of 
the book of Proverbs, as 1: 6 assures us it does, we cannot 
wonder that the men of Hezekiah, or the like men who came 
after them, added the piece before us to this book. In the 
narrower sense, hardly any of the verses in it are proverbs ; 
but the instructions given assume the general costume of 
proverbs, i. e. they exhibit metre and parallelism, although in 
the laxer sense. 

The tenor of this chapter seems to render it certain, that 
the general introduction in 1 — 7 was not written, until this 
was added, and probably chap. xxxi. also ; for 1: 6 appears 
pointedly to recognize such a composition as this. That the 
compilers of Part IV., the men of Hezekiah, made this ad- 
dition to the book, and wrote the general introduction, cannot - 
indeed be positively proved ; but it still remains quite 
probable, that the book was completed, and brought to its 
present form, by them. If so, then was it completed not far 
from 700 b. c. There is nothing in its diction or in the facts 
to which it adverts, that renders a junior age of this compo- 
sition necessary, or even probable. 

§ 10. Characteristics of Part VI. chap. xxxi. 

The introduction, in v. 1, tells us that the sequel contains 
Hie words of king Lemuel. It tells us also, that he was king 
of Massa ; and since 30 : 1 presents us with a queen of Mas- 
sa, and Lemuel is said (31: 1) to have been taught by his 
mother ; and since the two compositions (in ch. xxx. xxxi.) 
are united together, as if they came from the same or a like 



52 § 10. Characteristics of Part VI. 

source ; we may reasonably conclude, that both originated 
in Massa, and at or near the same time. For this cause, it 
was natural to associate them together, as the compiler has 
done. In case this is conceded, then the time, place, and 
author, are sufficiently ascertained, if what has been said in 
§ 9 is correct. 

The part appropriate to Lemuel consists only of vs. 1 — 9. 
The king was warned, he says, by his sagacious mother, 
against wine, and women, and oppression in the judgment of 
causes. The parallelisms here are altogether regular, and 
unusually synonymous. The verses, indeed, are not all of the 
same length ; but there is nothing specially notable in regard 
to them, in this respect. The composition is through and 
through gnomic in its cast, and the precepts given are not 
only excellent in a moral point of view, but highly impor- 
tant. Well might Agur exalt the excellence of a mother, 
who could teach thus ; and in a filial and honorable manner 
did he behave, when, although a king, he attributed to her 
the honor of the composition which he wrote down. 

Chap. 31: 10—31. 
I have not ranked this as a seventh Part of the book, (as 
might be done), because it seems to me probable, from the 
connection here, that the same mother who taught Lemuel, 
composed the eulogy that follows, of a virtuous, or rather of 
an energetic woman ; or else the son, perhaps, may have 
composed it in honor of his mother. If it be objected that 
such occupations as are here described, could not well be 
attributed to the queen-mother, it should be called to mind, 
that the queens of small nations or tribes were not exempt, 
in those times, from labor, or rather from overseeing the 
affairs of their household. Every classical reader is familiar 
with the story of Penelope, the wife of Ulysses, and of the 
web which she daily wove. But it is not necessary, that 
this should apply personally to the queen herself of Massa ; 



§ 10. Characteristics Of Part VI. 53 



it is sufficient that she, or whoever wrote the piece, had right 
views of the importance of industry and care in the mistress 
of a household, and has given us the outline of them. 

As to the eulogy itself, it is in the highest style of paral- 
lelistic writing. In perfection of metre, scarcely any even 
of the Psalms exceed it. Nearly every verse is a synony- 
mous parallelism, and the whole composition has an air of 
such simplicity, vivacity, and naivete, that it is truly admi- 
rable. From whatever quarter the composition came, there 
is no discerning reader who would not regret its omission. 
The tenor of it is, indeed, not the same as that of the Prov- 
erbs in general ; but as it inculcates, in a most attractive 
manner, both industry and frugality, it falls in entirely with 
the general spirit and design of the Proverbs. 

One other circumstance should be noted. This is, that the 
song is alphabetical, like a number of the Psalms, and the 
book of Lamentations. This method of writing reminds one 
of our acrostics. Beyond all doubt, such a composition must 
be designedly artistic. Why this fashion of writing should 
be introduced, we may not be able to say with certainty, but 
there is much probability that the object in view was to 
make songs easy to be remembered. The alphabetic order 
of the verses would plainly aid recollection. Whether this 
method of writing belongs only to the later Hebrew, as 
Ewald, and after him Bertheau, asserts, is a question that 
does not concern the passage before us ; for this was com- 
posed, as we have seen, in Hezekiah's time, or soon after, 
i. e. not far from 700 b. c. But in regard to Ewald's gen- 
eral assertion, it may be said, that violence must be done to 
the Hebrew text, in order to make it good ; for Ps. xxv. 
xxxiv. xxxvii. are expressly ascribed to David, in the title. 
I know not how the genuineness of such titles can be dis- 
proved. If not, then David, the leader of all lyric poets among 
the Hebrews, practised this method of writing, and of course 
it did not originate with the later Hebrews. 

5* 



54 



§ 11. Plan of the book. 



§ 11. Plan of the Booh 

Having thus gone through with the several parts of the 
book before us, and endeavored to show the manner and de- 
sign of the composition, and the authorship of the various 
portions of it, it may be well to add some miscellaneous 
remarks on the general nature and design of the plan which 
appears to have been followed in the compilation of the book. 

(1) The first thing which strikes us is, that all the prov- 
erbs are adapted to regulate our moral, religious, social, and 
civil demeanor. Some principle of conduct, some rule of 
life, some cautions adapted to produce sobriety and regularity, 
lie upon the face of the whole book. Historical allusions are 
scarcely found in it ; and yet this mode of proverbializing 
was not unknown to the Hebrews, as one may see in Judg. 
7 : 13. 8:2, 21. 1 Sam. 10 : 11. 19 : 24. Such we meet 
with, also, in the Arabic Proverbs of Meidani (edit. Schul- 
tens) ; e. g. " More profligate than Abu Lahab," (No. 113) ; 
« We have got Phalhas to sup," (111) ; " Making more gain 
than Agrab," (121) ; " More arrogant than the foolish Tha- 
(kis," 147) ; and so in a multitude of cases, but still inter- 
mingled, now and then, with cautionary and preceptive 
gnomes. So in the Proverbs of Abu Obaid. A collection 
of proverbs by the Caliph Ali, comes muck nearer to the 
book before us, since it is mostly made up of didactic pre- 
cepts. It is evident throughout the book of Proverbs, that 
the design is not to give that which can have only an indi- 
vidual application, but such maxims as are of general or 
universal use. The popular proverbs in mass doubtless com- 
prised many which had an historical basis ; for this is usual 
among all nations. But although the. compilers of the book 
of Proverbs must have known this, their design was to select 
only such maxims as were of general import. Both the 
maxims of Solomon, and of other wise men, appear in our 



§ 11. Plan of the book. 



55 



book ; but only that part of either of them which was 
adapted to general instruction. The like to this we find in 
the book of Psalms. A pure individual and historical basis 
none of them have ; although historical facts are adverted to 
in some of them, and are often interwoven. But they are 
merely subservient, and not predominant. This, moreover, 
is of course the most instructive method in the propounding 
of proverbs, and one the most generally useful. 

(2) A survey of the different parts of the book, as to 
form and manner of arrangement, is fraught with instruc- 
tion in regard to the plan of the compilers. Evidently, 
Part I. was designed to comprise the longer and more con- 
nected series of thoughts. If it arose, as we have seen it to 
be probable in § 5, from combining several compositions of 
different writers, yet nothing was admitted which was con- 
trary to the designed plan of Part L Like compositions 
respecting wisdom and incontinence, and some other things, 
were brought together, because both matter and manner 
permitted them to be associated. The whole forms an 
appropriate introduction to the rest of the book. 

On the other hand, Part II, consists wholly, as we have 
seen, of proverbs completed in one sentence. From whatever 
sources the proverbs were selected, only such were admitted 
as belonged to this category. Not even a mixture of long* 
and short was allowed, as in the rest of the book. Solomon 
himself, or any other person who selected from him, adhered 
rigidly to this rule through the whole of Part II. 

It was not because Solomon composed no other than simple 
and single proverbs, that no other are admitted into this Part 
for Part IV., selected from Solomon's works, exhibits every 
variety of proverb. It was plainly because the plan of 
selection rejected all the longer gnomes. On this ground, 
moreover, i.- becomes plain, why Part IV. is separated from 
Part II. by intervening matter, viz. the words of the wise. 
If the men of Hezekiah's time had not found Parts I— III. 



56 



§11. Plan of the book. 



already collected and united together, they doubtless would 
have joined Part IV. to Part II., still preserving the title. 
That they did not adopt this order, seems to be the conse- 
quence of possessing an older and an authoritative compila- 
tion already made and received, and current probably for a 
long time among the Hebrews. This they would not ven- 
ture to disturb. They merely added other things, therefore, 
of like nature, although sometimes discrepant in respect to 
form. Consequently, the plan was completed, by adding 
Parts IV. V. and VI. ; which are nearly all of the mixed 
kinds of composition. 

In 22 : 20, the compiler, or he who added Part III. to the 
first two, in his introduction to Part III., speaks of the 
precepts which "he had before written" to instruct the 
reader. This helps, therefore, to distinguish Part III. from 
that which precedes. In all probability, he who added this 
third part, did not compose it, but transferred it from other 
collections of proverbs. But nothing hinders our supposing 
that this compiler was Solomon himself. Indeed, it is diffi- 
cult to understand 22 : 20, in any other way, than to suppose 
this to be implied; for who else wrote the preceding 
Part II.? 

Bertheau says, that the title in 10:1, The Proverbs of 
Solomon, necessarily implies that what precedes (c. i — -ix.) 
was not regarded by the compiler as belonging to Solomon. 
I do not consider this criticism to be well grounded. The 
title in 10 : 1 is the result of a plan, which separates one 
kind of gnomes from another, since they differ in respect to 
form and length. Part II. stood by itself at first ; and when 
inserted in the compilation, it was inserted entire, title and 
all. But this does not make, by any fair construction, any 
denial of Solomon's claim to authorship in respect to some, 
or even all, of Part I. For other reasons which have been 
stated above (§ 5), we conclude that there were several 
authors concerned with the writing of Part I.; but the 



§11. Plan of the book. 



57 



reason in question, considering the nature of the case, can 
hardly be deemed valid. 

(3) It has already been brought to view, that the general 
introduction in 1 : 1 — 7, must have been written after the com- 
pilation of the whole book was made. The ground of this is, 
that in 1 : 6, mention is made of the words of the wise, which 
are to be produced, as well as the proverbs of Solomon, 
This title, as we have seen, is found in 22 : 17, which begins 
Part III. of the book, and this Part includes 22 : 17— 
24 : 34, i. e. two and a half chapters. Then follows the 
selection from Solomon's writings, by the men of Hezekiah, 
xxv — xxix. ; and after this the compositions of Agur and 
of Lemuel, together with the eulogy that close's the book. 
Bertheau classes under or among the words of the wise, 
these last compositions. This may be allowed, in one 
respect; for doubtless both of these authors are to be 
classed among the wise. But I apprehend that Bertheau, 
and all other critics whom I have seen, have failed to dis- 
cover, in the general introduction (1 : 1 — 7), what is intended 
(I might say) to specificate the last part of the book. Chap. 
1 : 6 runs thus : " So that he may understand a proverb, and 
a dark saying, — the words of the wise, and their enigmas? 
Whoever reads attentively chap, xxx., will see at once what 
dark saying and enigmas here mean. How exactly these 
words characterize this chapter, must be felt, indeed, by 
e*very discerning reader. When commentators of the pres- 
ent day have done their utmost, they are obliged to confess, 
as I have done, that they can see but darkly. There are 
parts of the chapter that yet remain in a measure unex- 
plained, — not as to the language, perhaps, but as to the 
design of the writer. Nearly the whole chapter puts on 
veiled or enigmatical forms. The meaning of most can be 
made out by diligence ; but it requires not a little both of 
dili gence and of knowledge to make it out satisfactorily. In 
view of this, all seems to be plain in 1:6. Not only is 



58 



§ 11. Plan of the book. 



22 : 17 — 24: 34 designated by the words of the wise, but the 
closing part of the book seems to be specifically designated 
by dark sayings and enigmas. 

From this view of the matter, it appears quite certain, 
that the general introduction in 1: 1 — 7 was designed to 
cover the whole ground, and therefore must have been written 
when the collection or compilation was completed. Of 
course this introduction came from a later hand, from some 
one who lived at or after the time of Agur and Lemuel. 

The whole order of the book in general reminds us of 
the order of the five parts of the Psalms. Passing by 
Pro v. i— ix., as an appropriate introduction to the book in 
general, we have in Part II. the proverbs of Solomon ; in 
Part III. the words of the wise; in Part IV. again the 
proverbs of Solomon ; in Parts Y. VI. the words of Agur 
and Lemuel. So with the book of Psalms; Part I. the 
Songs of David, ii — xli. Part II. songs of Davidic sing- 
ers, xlii — 1. Part III. David again, li — lxxii. Part IV. 
Davidic singers again. (Exceptions in these parts are few ). 
So there comes David, his contemporary singers, and then 
David again, followed again by them. So in Proverbs; 
beginning with c. x., w^e have first Solomon, then his con- 
temporaries ; then Solomon again, followed at the close by 
Agur and Lemuel. The two last Parts, like the two last in 
the Psalms, were added to the book, before extant, a consid- 
erable time after the first two were in circulation. 

There can be no doubt, that a book like that of the Prov- 
erbs, must have arisen gradually. These proverbs had 
many of them, doubtless, been long in circulation ; and they . 
were adopted by the compilers because of their truth, and 
of their moral, civil, social, and economical worth. But the 
book was not so long in being completed, as the book of 
Psalms. If we regard David as commencing this last 
book about the latter half of the eleventh century b. c, 
and call to mind that it was not closed until after the 



§ 12. Idioms. 



59 



return from the Babylonish exile, it must have been 
receiving accessions for about five hundred years. In 
the case before us, we do not go down much beyond three 
hundred years from the commencement of the book, in 
order to find the probable completion of it. 

§ 12. Idioms and Pecidiarities of the Booh 

(1) Those who have been disposed to find a late period 
for the composition of Proverbs, have ill succeeded in find- 
ing arguments to correspond with their wishes. From 
beginning to end, the Hebrew bears no special marks of 
the later dialect. Indeed one is astonished, considering the 
nature of the composition, to find how few of the words 
vary from the older Hebrew. It was to be expected, that a 
book which records the maxims and gnomes of the common 
people and every-day life, would exhibit many a word and 
phrase not elsewhere to be found ; since the language of 
popular intercourse usually varies much from that of books. 
Yet seldom do we find much difficulty here in regard to this 
matter. We find indeed, of necessity, and from the very 
nature of the case, many expressions of sentiment nowhere 
else to be found ; but the costume of this varies little from 
that of the common Hebrew. 

In the grammatical forms, there are some traits which are 
noticeable. One of these is, the frequency with which the 
paragogic or demonstrative 5 is employed, before the suffixes 
appended to verbs ; e. g. in 2 : 4, pnrn and Si|fc&nsa , and 
the like. I have not kept count of these paragogics thus 
employed, but I have an impression that they are the 
predominant usage of the book, in cases of a verbal-suffix 
to the Imperfect. 

(2) Another particular deserves special notice, as it has 
an important bearing on the grammar, or rather on the 
exegesis, of the language. This is, that the plural number, 



60 



§ 12. Idioms. 



specially of the feminine, is very often employed in the 
way of intensity, and also as a method of constituting abstract 
nouns. E. g. in 1: 20. 9:1, we find rii^sri plural, joined 
with a verb singular, because the idea is an abstract one, or 
because (more probably) the plural form merely denotes 
wisdom par excellence. Nowhere have I met with this usage 
so often as in this book ; and many a passage would have 
gained much in our English version, had our translators 
well understood this. Besides, it saves much grammatical 
difficulty. Where a plural noun is joined with a verb 
singular, it has been often put to the score of anomaly ; 
whereas, in many, if not most, of these cases, there is 
merely a concord ad sensum, in respect to the noun and the 
verb. For example, prolan , as above represented, is either 
an abstract noun, or a designation of intensity ; and in either 
case the sense is that of the singular. Hence the verb 
singular. — Just so with b^tf elsewhere. It is a plural of 
intensity; God par excellence. Hence the singular verb 
joined to it. — It is impossible for any one to read the book 
of Proverbs, with these principles of construction in view, 
without a feeling that the usage in question widely pervades 
the Hebrew language. But it appears, as I believe, no- 
where so often as here. 

(3) In such a book as that before us, there must of 
necessity be some peculiar words, used as the names of 
things which are nowhere else mentioned. But still, the 
anaE, Xsyofteva here are not numerous. In the cases which 
follow, some are peculiar as to form ; some peculiar as to 
meaning ; and some occur in no other book. E. g. 1: 10, 
&qpi= hbfittn; 3 : 2G, ; 12 : 27, rprp ; 15 : 4, J^b (bis) ; 
17 : 3. 27: 21, Sftsa ; 17: 14, s&awn ;' 17: 22, ftt* ; 18 : 8, 
b^rfcrra ; 22: 8, \n ; 22: 14, H33 ; 23 : 7, W; 23 : 21, 
rraw ; ' 23 : 28, ^.n; 23:19, ^nssT; 23 : 34, ban ; 25:11, 
Wi ; 26 : 8, rrayro '; 26 : 18, fcbniwo ; 27: 15, wjua ; 29 : 11, 
•ninas % 29: 21, pjM ; 31: 19, ^ittrs ; ib. jjia." Probably 



§ 13. Importance of the book. 



61 



I may have overlooked some of the same nature. But this 
is a small list, considering the extent of the book, and also 
the great variety of subjects which it exhibits. Every book 
of any considerable length, has of course its ana^ leyopsvoc ; 
and a book which exhibits the language of popular inter- 
course, may be expected usually to have many words of 
this class. We can only say, that here are fewer peculiar 
words than one would naturally expect. Besides, the fact 
of some words being peculiar to this book, establishes noth- 
ing either as to the antiquity or the lateness of them. The 
indicia of later Hebrew, such as we find so frequently in 
Coheleth, are not to be met with here. The difference in 
style and diction between the two books, is a thing so palpa- 
ble, that no one can help seeing and feeling it, who is 
familiar enough with Hebrew to judge of a difference in 
style. 

§ 13. Practical Importance of the Booh 

Gnomes, proverbs, comparisons, and even enigmas, have 
always been the storehouse of a nation's practical wisdom 
and ingenuity, in the earlier stages of its existence. A nation 
without any books, and unacquainted with the art of writing, 
could perpetuate the wisdom of its leaders, only in the way 
of handing down, traditionally and orally, the maxims and 
short sayings of wise men. These usually obtained so much 
currency and credit, that subsequent literary acquirements 
rarely expelled many of them from their wonted circulation. 
Few proverbs, perhaps, are originated, after a cultivated state 
begins ; but the mass of any people are not dependent on 
books, for the modes of intercourse which prevail among 
them. In fact, the proverbs which are rife and continuous 
among any people, are always indicative of their manners, 
habits, and feelings. "They contain a compendious history 
of a nation's mental exercises, in regard to all the various 
objects of thought and reflection. They are the result of 

6 



62 



§ 13. Importance of the book. 



experience, of sagacity, of a knowledge of men and things ; 
and they serve an important purpose in stimulating as well 
as enlightening them. 

It is no matter of wonder, then, that every nation which 
has made any figure on the world's stage, should abound in 
proverbs. The oldest gnome of the enigmatical kind, which 
we find on record, is that of Samson, in Judg. 14: 12 — 18, 
which takes the form of what we call a riddle. Doubtless 
the Hebrews must have had an almost inexhaustible store 
of proverbs, since we find that Solomon alone spoke three 
thousand of them, 1 K. 4 : 32. If, as seems probable (§ 6. 5), 
Solomon added Part III. of the Proverbs to the other two 
preceding Parts, and selected it from the works of other wise 
men, it would seem that the Hebrews abounded in proverbial 
lore, at that period, beyond almost any other nation. The 
Arabians, however, who are a kindred people, and one of 
lively fancy, vivid imagination, and ready, poignant wit, have 
perhaps outdone the Hebrews in this respect. Lockman, an 
alleged contemporary of Solomon, the author of some beauti- 
ful Arabic Fables, exhibits many proverbial sayings in them ; 
and in later writers, such as Meidani, Tsamahshari, Abu 
Obeid, and the Caliph Ali, appear a great multitude of 
gnomic sayings. Burckhardt made an immense collection, 
which has since been published. In Persia, Ferid Attar 
and Sadi have exhibited many select apothegms of their 
nation. The Scythians (Herod, iv. 31), the Hindoos, and 
the Chinese, possessed like stores. Even Odin, in northern 
Europe, had a proverbial system of ethics ; (see Eddae 
Saemundianae Pars dicta Havamoal, edit. Resenii). Among 
the Greeks and Latins, also, are many gnomic productions. 
Proverbs have always been, with the mass of the people 
everywhere, the most favored kind of moral lore. 

Imagine a people, like the ancient Hebrews, destitute of 
books and the art of printing, and then ask : What would be 
the value of such Proverbs as are contained in the book 



§ 13. Importance of the Proverbs. 63 

before us ? It would be almost beyond estimation. Short, 
pithy, pointed, sensible sayings, imprint themselves deeply 
on the mind and memory; and by these, a people may 
become in a good measure instructed in their moral, civil, 
and social duties. One advantage is, that the mind comes 
to have within itself the stores to which it may resort for 
prudential counsel in time of need. It must not be supposed, 
that all the proverbs of Solomon were composed de novo by 
him. They came originally from many thinking minds, in 
different conditions of life, and with a great variety of expe- 
rience. Solomon selected many, composed others, and put 
together those which he judged to be true, most striking, and 
most worthy to be preserved. No matter what their origin 
was, whether among men inspired or uninspired ; for surely, 
inspiration or special divine suggestion, was not needed for 
the composition of many of the Proverbs. The natural wit, 
and discernment, and talent for observation, which many 
shrewd men possessed, was adequate to such a task. Nec 
JDeus intersit, nisi dignus vindice nodus — may be applied in 
this case. But all these 'proverbs had afterwards the sanction 
of an inspired man, as to their truth and importance ; and 
consequently they are of the same authority as if composed 
de novo by the compilers. The case is like that of the book 
of Genesis ; which, as we can hardly doubt, originated from 
various sources, but passed through the hands of Moses, and 
received its present shape from him, and is, therefore, now 
stamped with his authority. It matters not, then, how much 
of the book of Proverbs Solomon actually composed ; we only 
need his sanction to what it now contains. 

In looking carefully through the whole book, there will be 
seen a collection of moral and prudential maxims, which 
attain a high elevation in the dominion of morality, industry, 
social kindness, and indeed of all the civil and social virtues. 
A people who originated these, and brought them into pop- 
ular use, must needs have made great advances in civil and 



64 § 13. Importance of the Proverbs. 

social life. A Caffre or a Tartar could hardly understand 
them, even if proposed in his own language ; and if he should, 
he would have little relish for them. To have received and 
retained them, then, and set so much value on them as the 
Hebrews did, shows a state of moral cultivation, in the time 
of Solomon and Hezekiah, by no means of an inferior grade. 
It cannot be denied that there is a high tone of religion, 
morals, social obligation, and even comity, pervading the 
whole book. Humility before God, reverence for him, the 
love of our neighbor, justice, kindness, temperance, gentleness 
of spirit and demeanor, prudence, econonry, active diligence, 
chastity, purity of heart, modesty, and (in a word) all 
which makes men happy in themselves, and creates a happy 
state of society, are exhibited and urged in the most pointed 
manner in the book before us. And we, after all the light 
which Christianity has shed upon us, could not part with 
this book without a severe loss. Better by far to loose all 
that Socrates, and Plato, and Plutarch, and Epictetus, and 
Cicero, and Seneca, and their heathen compeers, ever left 
behind them, on subjects of this nature. Pity that the book 
is not more studied, and better understood, by Christians of 
the present day ! A popular exhibition of the results of 
critical examination, with a plain and explicit statement of 
the real sentiment conveyed by each proverb where there is 
any obscurity, would be, as I cannot but hope, a favorite book 
for the people ; and at all events an exceedingly useful one. 
The book contains a striking exhibition of practical wisdom, 
so striking that it can never be antiquated. 

§ 14. Ancient Versions of the Book. 
I. The Septuagint. 
Eichhorn, after commending the Sept. translation of the 
Pentateuch above that of any other books of the Old Testa- 
ment, proceeds thus : " The next place must be given to the 



§ 14. Ancient versions : Septuagint. 65 

translator of the Proverbs. His work proceeds not in the 
stiff gait of a dictionary ; for he had both languages at his 
command. Often, he expresses merely the sense of the 
original ; but when he misses that, you recognize his genius 
even in his mistakes" Einl. § 165. 

I apprehend that one would get but an imperfect view of 
the Sept. version of Proverbs, from reading such a passage 
as this. The stiff gait of a dictionary, I suppose, means a 
literal translation made out by the help of a lexicon merely, 
— help in regard to the sense given to the words. And true 
enough it is, that the translator does not limit himself to any 
lexicographal bounds. Almost everywhere, and on all occa- 
sions, does he overleap them, more or less. Why he does 
so, Eichhorn does not go on to explain, excepting that he 
says of the translator, that "he had both languages at his 
„ command." One who has compared the version throughout 
with the original Hebrew, will be slow, I apprehend, to 
claim for the translator a thorough knowledge of the Hebrew, 
whatever he may affirm of his acquaintance with the Greek. 
Undoubtedly, he approaches nearer to a classical diction, than 
any other Septuagintal translator. He seems to have been 
conversant with the classic Greek, and to have taken great 
pains to make his version bear the stamp of it. There is no 
other book in all the Septuagint, which has so few Hellenisms 
as the book of Proverbs. If it be any praise, in a case like 
the present, to aim at and exhibit classicity of style, then has 
our Greek translator acquired a right to eulogy, so far as 
this is concerned. But alas for the reader of this version ! 
He can surely acquire but a very imperfect view of the 
original by means of it. The liberties taken with the 
Hebrew are almost beyond calculation. A literal or exact 
rendering of it is indeed, one might almost say, the exception 
rather than the rule. But classical Greek is no compensation 
for this. We go to such a translation, rather to find what 
the Hebrew original means, than to find classical Greek ; for 

6* 



66 § 14. Ancient versions : Septuagint. 



this we can find, in a better form, in the classics themselves. 
Consequently, its unfaithfulness to the original is not com- 
pensated for, by any skill in selecting Greek words which 
are aesthetically good. I am aware that some critics have 
spoken of this Greek version of the Proverbs, as standing on 
a level with the golden verses of Pythagoras. For its 
moral and religious qualities, it is undoubtedly far above the 
verses of that celebrated sage. But this belongs to the 
original writer, and not to the translator. 

In an introduction like the present, there is no room for 
an expanded view of the faults of the translation before us. 
All which I shall aim at will be, to give specimens of whole 
classes of additions ; of omissions ; of strange and peculiar 
renderings, which do no justice to the original, and for which 
we cannot well account ; and also of cases where error was 
committed by mistaking the proper vowels, or mistaking sim- m 
liar letters. 

(1) Additions. These are either a single clause, two 
clauses, three, four, etc., even up to several verses. Speci- 
meas I shall now subjoin, presenting them in English, for 
the convenience of the reader. The literal translation of 
the Hebrew is printed in the usual type, while the Sept. 
version beneath it is thrown into small type. 

Chap. 1:18. But these lie in wait for their own blood ; 
they lurk for their own lives. 

For these are partakers of murder ; they treasure up evil for them- 
selves ; but the destruction of transgressors is grievous. 

We can account for treasure up here, because the Hebrew 
word sometimes means to lag up or conceal treasures ; 
but the concealing, in the case before us, is concealing them- 
selves, and not hiding treasures. The last clause is con- 
structed of de novo material. 

3 : 15. More precious is she [wisdom] than pearls, and all 

thy jewels cannot compare with her. 



§ 14. Ancient versions : Septuagint. 67 



More valuable is she than precious stones ; nothing bad can compare 
vith her ; she is well known to all those who draw nigh to her, and no 
precious thing is comparable to her. 

Here is a whole verse, or two clauses, without any voucher 
for it in the original. 

4 : 27. Turn not aside to the right or to the left ; withdraw 
thy foot from evil. 

Incline not to the right or to the left ; turn away thy foot from the 
way of evil ; for the ways which are on the right, God knoweth, and 
those on the left are perverted ; but he will make thy paths straight, 
and lead on thy goings in peace. 

Here are two short, yet entire, verses added. 

6:8. In summer she [the ant] prepareth her food ; at 
harvest-time she hath gathered her provender. 

She prepares her food in summer ; and makes much store in harvest. 
Or, go to the bee, and learn how laborious she is , and how decorously 
she executes her task ; the fruit of her labors kings and private persons 
make use of for health ; she is desired by all, and is illustrious ; and 
although weak in respect to strength, since she honors wisdom, she is 
promoted. 

This is travelling out of the record, with a witness. 

16:5. An abomination of Jehovah is every man of a 
lofty mind ; should hand be added to hand, he will not go 
unpunished. 

Unclean before God is every one of a proud heart ; thrusting hands 
into hand unrighteously, he shall not go unpunished. The beginning 
of a good way is doing righteously, and is acceptable to God, rather 
than slaying sacrifices ; he who seeketh the Lord, shall find knowledge 
with righteousness, and they who seek him rightly shall find peace. 
All the works of the Lord are with righteousness ; but the ungodly is 
reserved for + he day of evil. 

Such are some of the specimens of the boldness, with 
which the translator executed his task. But after 24 : 22, 
follows a whole passage, inserted between vs. 22 and 23, 



68 § 14. Ancient versions : Septuagint. 



together with 30 : 1 — 14 joined on to it, and transferred 
hither from its proper place. It runs thus : — 

The son who keepeth the word, shall be free from destruction ; and 
whoever has received it, let him utter to the king no falsehood from 
his tongue, and let nothing false go forth from his tongue. The 
tongue of a king is a sword, and not fleshly 5 and whomsoever he shall 
deliver up, shall be dashed in pieces 5 for if his anger be excited, he 
destroys men with chords, and devours the bones of men ; yea, he 
consumes them as a flame, so that they cannot be eaten by the young 
of eagles. My son, fear my words ; and receiving them, repent. 

How tame, and spiritless, and incongruous, all this sheer 
interpolation is, will be felt by every intelligent reader. It 
is unnecessary to comment upon it. It is well that there 
are not many such passages as this, either as to extent or 
taste; for then the version, as such, with all its boasted 
classic Greek, could scarcely be redeemed from contempt. 

Let not the reader imagine, however, that I have given 
him anything more than a mere prelibation. But my limits 
forbid extracting any more under this category. Instead of 
this, I would refer any one who wishes to pursue the subject 
of comparison for himself, to the texts cited in the margin. 1 

Among these more than fifty texts will be found very 
many which add a whole verse, and some which consist of 
two or more verses. And all these, be it noted, are only a 
moderate portion of the verses which have added something 
to the text, or at least inserted something which is not in it. 
Had I catalogued the whole, it would amount to some twenty 
or twenty-five per cent, of the whole book. As it is, we 
have here more than sixty verses, (including those produced 
at length above, and such additions as include two or more 



1 See 1 : 7, 14. 3: 16, 18, 22, 28. 4: 10. 5: 2, 16. 6: 11, 16, 25. 7:2. 
8:21. 9:7,10,12,18. 10:4. 11:16. 12:11,13,26. 13:9,11,13,22. 
15:5, 18, 27, 29, 30, 33. 16:17, 27, 28. 17:5, 6. 16:21. 18:22. 
19:7. 22:9, 14, 30. 24:7. 25:10,20. 26:11. 27:20, 21. 28:17. 
29 : 7, 25. 31 : 3. 



§ 14. Ancient versions : Septuagint. 69 

verses), which are made de novo by the translator, so that 
if no more were reckoned, we have a proportion of some 
sixty-five to the whole number of verses = 917. In other 
words, we make out fourteen per cent, of adulteration of text 
by direct interpolation. A formidable mass, indeed, in a 
professed copy of the original ! But if to this, one should 
add all the minuter additions or variations, he must swell 
the account to the full amount above stated, or even more, 

(2) Omissions. First of a clause ; e. g. 8 : 29, where the 
Hebrew runs thus : " When he marked out for the sea its 
limit, so that the waters should not pass beyond its shore ; 
when he defined the foundations of the earth/' For all this 
the Sept. has only : " When he made strong the foundations 
of the earth." The like in 3 : 3. 4:5. 7 : 25. 17 : 19. 21 : 18. 
In other cases a whole verse, and sometimes several verses, 
are omitted; e. g. 11:4. After 15 : 29, a new chapter 
begins, and then, after giving v. 1 of chap, xvi., vs. 30, 32, 33, 
of chap. xv. are inserted, while v. 31 is wholly omitted. 
After 16:1, these three verses of chap. xv. are not only 
inserted, but vs. 2 — 4 belonging to chap. xvi. are wholly 
omitted. After 18 : 22, vs. 23, 24 are omitted. In chap, 
xix., vs. 1,2 are omitted, and v. 3 is tacked on to the end of 
chap, xviii., so that chap. xix. begins with v. 4. In chap, xx., 
after v. 9, comes vs. 20 — 22 ; and not only this, but vs. 14— 
19 are wholly omitted. After 22 : 5, v. 6 is wholly omitted. 
Put all these together, and we have a serious defalcation 
and departure from the original Hebrew. 

(3) Peculiar departures from the original text. 
These are so numerous that they cannot well be reckoned. 
I need to give but a few specimens to show the nature of 
them. Thus 1:12, "Let us swallow them up alive as 
Hades ; and let those in a sound condition be as those who 
go down to the pit." For the last clause, the Sept. has 
the following : " And let us take away their remembrance 
from the earth." In 2:16, the Hebrew runs thus : " That 



70 § 14. Ancient versions : Septuagint. 

they may deliver thee from the strange woman ; from the 
stranger who maketh smooth her words." The Sept. says : 
" To remove thee from the straight way, [to make thee] a 
stranger to righteous knowledge. My son, let not evil 
counsel take hold of thee." In 14: 9, the Hebrew stands 
thus: "Sin-offering mocketh fools; but with the upright, 
there is ready acceptance." Sept. : " The houses of trans- 
gressors need purification ; but the houses of the righteous 
are acceptable." 

Such are some of the specimens under the present cate- 
gory. Very many of those referred to in the Note, are 
equal to, and some surpass, the specimens produced. But 
beside all that I have marked, and which are submitted to 
the reader in the Note below, 1 there are smaller departures 
from the Hebrew quite beyond enumeration. No one who 
reads the Hebrew text intelligently, can fail of meeting 
them in every paragraph ; I had almost said in every verse. 
One of two things is true ; either the translator had no 
adequate knowledge of the Hebrew, and paraphrased in 
this way because he did not know his original well enough 
to render it more exactly; or he took unbounded and 
unwarrantable liberties with his text, and designed merely 
to fix up what he thought would be a readable book, in 
well-chosen Greek diction. In either case, he has very 
unfaithfully and inadequately performed his task. If the 
reader will spend one tenth part of the time in following 
and comparing the texts referred to in the Note, which it 



1 See and compare 1: 19. 2: 18. 4: 15, 25. 5: 19. 6: 14. 7:7, 10,22. 
8: 2,27. 9: 13. 10: 5, 10, 12, 24, 26. 11: 7, 9, 14, 24, 25, 26, 30, 31. 
12 : 2, 28. 13 : 4, 15, 23. 14 : 7, 15, 23, 24, 32, 35. 15 : 1, 4, 15, 22, 23. 
16:21,30,33. 17:1,4,7,8,9, 10,11,12, 14,23. 18:1,8, 11,14,19. 
19: 6, 13, 18. 20: 1, 4. 21: 8, 10, 14. 22: 11, 19, 26. 23: 2, 7, 15,20,21, 
27, 28, 29. 24 : 5, 9, 10, 11, 15, 30, 31. 25 : 4, 9, 19, 20, 23, 27. 26 : 6, 
10, 11, 18, 23, 24. 27 : 9, 13, 19, 22. 28 : 2, 10, 26. 29 : 9. 30 : 1, 3, 15, 
SI, 32. 31 : 1, 2, 3, 4, 21, 26, 29. Amount here = 116 verses. 



§ 14. Ancient versions : Septuagint. 



71 



has cost me to collect them, he will, by his own efforts, have 
the whole matter before him, and have it in such a way as 
descanting on the Sept. cannot give it to him. The amount 
of departures is indeed very great, and beyond all reason- 
able measure. 

(4) Different reading- of the Vowels, or mistaking 
similar letters. In 3 : 4, the Heb. words Sia isto, good discre- 
tion, the Sept. has rendered ttqovoov xald, consider things 
good, reading the word &3iB as a verb in Piel, viz. isto. In 
4: 21, the Heb. sywa, from thine eyes, the Sept. translates 
al nrjyat gov, thy fountains, having read the Heb. as rpjpSM , 
which means fountains. In 11: 3, we have Q* 1 ^? ttaft, the 
integrity of the upright; in the Sept., we find ' anod'avwv 
dixctiog, i. e. they read the first word as ran . Even then 
the gender is anomalous. In 23 : 28, the Heb. has fptpin , 
she shall add, from ; but the Sept. derived the verb from 
v)&2* , to take away, and have rendered it 'avaXco&rjGEtai, 
shall be destroyed. In 19 : 6, yyi means the friend; but the 
Sept. has xaxog, reading it SHii from 3^*1 , to do evil. In 
19 : 23, we have evil ; Sept. read |*j knowledge, from . 
In 20 : 4, Heb. tftha , during autumn ; in the Sept., 'oveidc£o~ 
l^svog, reading the word , Part, of the Piel of tflfl , to 
reproach. And so of the rest. 1 

Such are the leading classes of additions, omissions, 
strange translations, and changes of proper vowels for 
wrong ones. Besides all this, there occurs not a little con- 
fusion in the order of verses, and the ending of chapters ; 
e. g. see in 15: 29 and 16: 1, seq. See also 18: 22, seq., 
where four verses are omitted, and chap. xix. begins with 
v. 4. After 20 : 9, seq., occur next vs. 20—22 ; then 
the regular order up to v. 13 ; after which vs. 14 — 19 are 

1 See also 7 : 18. 8 : 1. 1 : 21. 2:7. 11 : 8, 18, 19, 28. 12 : 23. 13 : 17, 
19. 15 : 14, 15. 16 : 16. 17 : 3, 9. 18 : 9. 20 : 4, 6. 21 : 6. 22 : 11, 18. 
23 : 3, 4. 24 : 7. 25: 2. 26: 10, 13. 28: 12, 15, 28. 29: 5, 14, 16. Sum 

= 34 cases. 



72 § 14. Ancient versions : Septuagint. 



wholly omitted. After 24 : 22, follows an interpolation of 
some four entire verses, having nothing correspondent to it 
in the Hebrew, and being followed by chap. 30 : 1 — 14. 
Then comes 24: 23—34 ; and after this, 30 : 15—33. This 
too is followed by chap. 31 : 1 — 9 ; and then the regular 
order is resumed with 25 : 1, seq. Once more ; after the 
end of chap xxix., the rest of chap, xxxi., viz. vs. 10 — 31, is 
subjoined, and comes in, as in the Hebrew Bible, at the close 
of the book. Such is the oft-repeated vazeoov Trooreoov of 
the book before us, brought about by the carelessness of the 
translator, or of some copyist, or else by the ill arrangement 
of his Hebrew codex. 

I find nothing, however, in all these changes and addi- 
tions made by the Sept. version, which properly ranks 
under the Jewish ttiyra, i. e. allegorical, spiritualizing, 
double-sense commentary. The passage in 6 : 8, (produced 
above, p. 67), respecting the bee, comes the nearest to a 
ttS'j'ra of anything in the book. This interpolation does in 
fact approach somewhat near to the i-HJii, which means 
story, narration, anecdote, and the like, added to the text, 
in order to give pleasure to the reader. 

We meet with nothing which betrays, with certainty, the 
where and when of the translator. It would seem, however, 
from his conceded classical knowledge and style, that he 
was a native Greek, imperfectly acquainted with Hebrew. 
It would not be easy for a Jew to free himself from that 
kind of reverence for the Scriptures, which would restrain 
him from tampering with them as much as our translator 
does, unless the Midrash or the Haggadoth were designedly 
in view. Even these were not designed to change the text 
itself, but only to amuse and attract the reader. But 
throughout the Septuagint version reigns a spirit, which is 
entirely different from that which appears in the Targum 
of Job or Psalms. There, we have plenty both of the 
Midrash and Haggadoth. In fact, the levity (I had almost 



§ 14 Ancient versions : Septuagint. 73 

said) with which the book is treated, in the Septuagint 
version, indicates strongly that the author was a man 
embarrassed by none of the usual Jewish prejudices, in 
regard to the exterior of the Scriptures. Whoever he was, 
we are under no great obligations to him for a translation 
so interpolated, so full of omissions, so often abandoning the 
proper meaning of Hebrew words, and so frequently built 
on incorrect readings of the vowels and consonants. All 
these are high and substantial charges against it. But 
they are not made out, by any theory or desire of mine. 
They are forced upon our notice, by a careful attention to 
all the minutiae of the Septuagint ; and they lie before the 
reader, not in the form of an exparte decision, made without 
a hearing of the party concerned, but in the form of direct 
and unequivocal testimony which cannot be called in ques- 
tion. The condemning evidence is stamped on the very 
face of the whole book. 

Looking now deliberately on this mass of facts, is it not 
to be regarded as a stain upon the escutcheon of sacred 
criticism, that the Septuagint version before us has been so 
long and so much extolled ? Long ago began the practice 
of praising it. Once commenced, it has become a kind of 
traditionary inheritance among critics. See, for example, 
at the beginning of this section, what Eichhorn has said 
respecting it. The like had been done before, and has since 
been often repeated. With how much reason, has been 
amply shown above. Even Havernick and Bertheau seem 
to have taken mainly upon trust what they say of this 
version; although the latter has made some critical dis- 
criminations as to the characteristics of the Sept. But 
such indiscriminate eulogy as we find in most cases, leads 
one to see how many of such things are said merely upon 
trust, and without any rigid examination. The Septuagint 
is opened, perhaps, at a venture, and the critic lights, it 
may be, on this passage and that, which are translated into 

7 



74 § 14. Ancient versions : Septuagint. 

good Greek, and rendered in a spirited manner. Now and 
then, too, a lucky hit occurs. All this can be found, I well 
know, here and there in the version. But it is very unequal. 
Were it not for the diction, one might almost be led, in 
some cases, to suspect different translators. But as the 
diction forbids this, we can account for these inequalities 
only by recurring to an ancient criticism on Homer, one 
made by a master in this art : " Aliquando bonus dormitat 
Homerus." But our translator not only nods, but dreams, 
at times, and exhibits not a little of the perplexity and 
intricacies and claro-obscure of a dreamy state. It is high 
time that the indiscriminate eulogy of his performance were 
laid aside by critics, who examine, or ought to examine, for 
themselves. 

All this serves to show, beyond any ground of reasonable 
doubt, that the Septuagint, as a ivhole, never came from one 
man, nor from the same body of men. There is such a 
wide diversity in the style of different books ; such manifest 
tokens of different degrees of knowledge as to the Hebrew 
original, and with all (as in the present case) such a wide 
difference in the sense of obligation to keep close to the 
text, that it is really beyond all critical possibility to 
vindicate a oneness of authorship to the whole version. 

Those who are prone, as many still seem to be, to set up 
the version of which we are treating, as a corrector of the 
Hebrew Scriptures, should look w r ell before they leap. 
Those who make desperate endeavors to force upon us 
the Septuagint chronology, ante-diluvian and post-diluvian, 
would do well to read J. D. Michaelis on this subject, in 
his Syntagma Dissertationum. Nothing is plainer, than 
that the object of the Septuagint chronology is, to make 
out the supposed requisite period of five thousand years, 
before the birth of the Messiah. Hence, by various strata- 
gems, six hundred out of the needed one thousand years, 
are made out before the flood ; and the complement, after it. 



§ 14. Ancient versions : Peshito. 75 

Thus in the Heb. of Gen. 11: 10 — 13, we have the gene- 
alogy of Shem, the son of Noah, in this order : « Shem, 
Arphaxad, Salah, Eber," etc. ; in the corresponding Sept., 
we have " Shem, Arphaxad, Cainan, Salah, Eber," etc. 
Unluckily for this apparent piece of pious fraud, we find in 
the Sept. itself, in 1 Chron. 1 : 17, 18, the exact Hebrew 
order, viz., " Shem, Arphaxad, Salah, Eber," etc., and no 
Cainan. The man who played this trick with the Septua- 
gint, should have kept a better look-out for the genealogy in 
Chronicles, and have adapted this as well as the other list 
of names to his design. It is well, however, that imposture 
is not always on its guard. But as for those critics who 
would fain bring us to the Septuagint chronology, and thus 
exalt the Septuagint above the Hebrew, and at its expense, 
I would beg leave to commend to them 1 Chron. 1: 17, 18, 
compared with Gen. 11: 10 — 13, and also the Septuagint 
version of the book of Proverbs, as exhibited above. 

II. The Peshito or old Syriac version. 

When or where the name Peshito was first given, is 
uncertain. But as this word probably means The Simple, 
there seems to be little room for doubt, that the name was 
designed, whenever given, to distinguish it from the kind of 
metaphrastic versions, such as exist in the Targums ; where 
not only the sense of the text is often given loosely, but the 
version is interlarded with Midrash and Haggadoth. In oppo- 
sition 4o this stands the Syriac version, justly named Simple, 
inasmuch as it is the most literal and simple of all the 
ancient versions. The man or men who made it were un- 
doubtedly persons whose vernacular was Syriac, but who 
studied the Hebrew so as to attain an intimate familiarity 
with it. The transition is easy from one language to the 
other. Our missionaries among the Arabians and Syrians 
find, that it takes but as it were a few days for an intelligent 



76 §14. Ancient versions : Peshito. 

Arabian or Syrian to learn to read fluently and understand 
the Hebrew. This might have been done, or rather, must 
have been done, by the Syriac translator of the Old Testa- 
ment, and certainly by the translator of the book of Proverbs. 
Otherwise the translation could not have been so literal and 
exact as it is. 

In the region called anciently Adiabene, which lay in east- 
ern Syria, (or more anciently in western Assyria), between 
the Euphrates and the Tigris, and north of Mesopotamia, 
were located the ten tribes, who w r ere carried away captive 
by Shalmaneser the king of Assyria, 2 K. 17 : 23. Jose- 
phus (Antiq. V. 2) says, that at the time of the return of 
the Jews from the Babylonish exile, only two tribes returned ; 
but that "the ten tribes, consisting of immense myriads 
([ivQiddeg anEiQOi) of Jews beyond the Euphrates," did not 
return, because they liked their long-wonted habitations too 
well to quit them. King Agrippa, just before the Roman- 
Jewish w r ar, in exhorting the Jews to submission, advises 
them " to place no confidence in the aid of their fellow tribes 
(oiAocpvlovg) of Adiabene;" Bell. Jud. II. c. 16, p. 808, edit. 
Col. There can be no question, that a vast number of Jews 
were at that time scattered over that country, then subjected 
to the Parthians. The same Josephus tells us, that Izates, 
king of Adiabene, sent (of course before the destruction of 
Jerusalem) "jive sons, who were young, to learn the language 
vernacular with the Jews, and to obtain accurate instruction," 
Antiq. XX. c. 2, p. 687. This king was himself a zealous 
convert to Judaism, as was also his mother, Helena, who 
visited Jerusalem. When the Jewish priest Eleazar visited 
Izates, he found him reading the Pentateuch ; ut sup. p. 685. 
The reign of this king was probably A. d. 40—60. It must 
then have been a Septuagint or Greek copy of the Old 
Testament ; for probably no version had yet been made into 
the Syriac. Is there not then the highest probability, that 
this king, whose zeal for Judaism had induced him to send 



§ 14. Ancient versions : Peshito. 77 



five sons to learn the Hebrew language and religion, did on 
their return, direct them to translate the Hebrew Scriptures 
into the Syriac language ? A brother of Izates, viz. Mono- 
bazus, seems also to have been a zealous convert to the He- 
brew religion ; for the Talmud (Tract. Yoma, c. 3. 10) 
relates, that this individual, the son of Helena, consecrated 
golden vessels to the temple at Jerusalem. Some time, then, 
during the latter half of the first century, it is probable that the 
Old Testament Peshito was made. It is enough to render 
this probable, that Helena, the queen-mother of Adiabene, 
and Izates her successor, and his brother Monobazus, were 
zealous Judaizers ; and Izates, moreover, had five sons, 
thoroughly instructed in Hebrew, by the master Eabbies in 
Jerusalem ; (see a copious history of these personages in Jos. 
Antiq. XX. 2). It seems quite probable, at all events, that 
the O. Test. Peshito was made first, before the N. Test. Ver- 
sion, and separately from it. One reason for this is, the 
strong probability that Izates woulcl promote such an object, 
since he could easily accomplish it by the aid of his sons. 
Then again, the N. Test. Syriac, when it cites passages from 
the O. Test., cites them not from the O. Test. Peshito, but 
makes a new version of its own. This shows that the N. 
Test. Syriac translator was a person different from the trans- 
lator of the Old Testament ; for the same person, making 
the entire version of both Testaments, would very naturally, 
in translating the N. Test., quote his 0. Test. Version, where 
the O. Test, is cited ; or if he first translated the N. Test., 
then he would have conformed passages of the O. Test., cited 
in the New, to the version which he had already made. 
Once more, the tradition among the Syrians themselves 
assigns both translations to the same period, but not to the 
same persons ; see the excellent and recent Latin Essay on 
the Syriac Versions, by J. Wichelhaus, Halle, 1850, p. 119. 

Of the N. Test. Peshito, it would be irrelevant to say 
much here. Suffice it to remark, that Adiabene was early 
7* 



78 



§ 14. Ancient versions : Peshito. 



filled with Christians, even before the end of the first cen- 
tury. In Acts 2 : 7, seq. we read of men who were " Par- 
thians, Medes, Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia" 
as being present to hear the sermon of Peter, on the day of 
Pentecost, and that three thousand of his audience were con- 
verted on that day. Must not some of these have been 
persons from Adiabene, who would of course carry back to 
their respective places the gospel of Christ ? The Syrians 
have an ancient and apparently uniform tradition, that the 
N. Test. Peshito was made by the disciples of an apostle, or 
at least of one of the Seventy disciples, who first preached 
the gospel in East Syria. In all probability, then, this ver- 
sion was made near the close of Cent. L, or near the begin- 
ning of Cent. II. This shows a good reason, why some of 
the later books, viz. 2 Peter, 2 and 3 John, Jude, and the 
Apocalypse, are omitted in the N. Test. Peshito. They 
had not yet come, at so Qarly a period, into circulation among 
the inhabitants of that distant region. But I can merely 
refer the reader to Wichelhaus, as cited above, where he 
will meet with more than he can elsewhere find, in regard 
to this deeply interesting version. 

But to return : If we consider it quite probable that the 
five sons of Izates, who were taught at Jerusalem, made the 
Peshito version of the Old Testament, then we have in it a 
good mirror to reflect the forms of Hebrew criticism and 
exegesis, at that period, at least among a part of the Jewish 
literati. And certainly, when viewed in this light, we must 
feel disposed to give them much credit. Of all the ancient 
versions of the Old Testament, the Peshito is the truest and 
the best. It shows great skill in transferring the Hebrew 
idiom into the Syriac ; although this was not a difficult task 
for a man skilled in both languages. Of course there would 
be some words in the Hebrew, which antiquity had rendered 
obscure, and the meaning of which the translator into Syriac 
has sometimes missed. But on the other hand, he has 



§ 14. Ancient versions : Peshito. 79 

poured light on many an obscure word or phrase ; which is 
of serious importance to the interpreter of the Hebrew 
Scriptures. 

It has been objected to the position that the Old Testa- 
ment Peshito was made directly from the Hebrew, that in 
some places it conforms to the Sept. The fact is in some 
few cases apparently so ; but it is easy, since the passages 
are so few, to ascribe them to changes afterwards made in 
the copies of the Peshito, out of a superstitious regard to the 
Sept., which was supposed to be of divine origin. Besides, 
in some cases, the Sept. translator, and the Syriac one, may 
both have drawn from the same exegetical sources among 
the Jews. 

So far as our present object is concerned, I can say, from 
actual comparison, that the Syriac is as remote from the 
Sept., as this is from a true representation of the Hebrew. 
No connection between the two translations is discernible, 
beyond very narrow limits. That the Peshito translator, 
however, was conversant with the Sept., can hardly be 
doubted. That he has followed its irregularities, its incor- 
rectnesses, its additions, and its omissions, to any extent even 
worth naming, is certainly not true. 

The Peshito of Proverbs is indeed a model as to manner. 
Where it becomes exegetical, it uses the fewest words possi- 
ble. It indulges in no paraphrases. It exhibits no Midra- 
shim or Haggadoth. Some things (small ones) have probably 
crept into it from marginal notes ; such as might be taken 
from the Syriac commentary of Ephrem Syrus. Most of 
the departures from the Hebrew are confined to the book of 
Psalms ; and these may be accounted for from the fact, that 
the Psalms were a liturgic book. 

It is strong proof against the authenticity of the Apocry- 
phal boohs, that no one of them ever belonged to this ancient 
version. Ephrem Syrus, indeed, cites them; but not as 
books canonical or authoritative. 



80 § 14. Ancient versions : Peshito. 



In a few cases, we find additions made to the Hebrew ; 
and who the person was that made them, is a point difficult 
to be settled. What I mean is, that these additions are so 
small, compared with the mass of the book, that it is more 
easy to suppose them to have come in from the margin, in 
process of time, than to account for them by supposing the 
translator himself to have made them, and in a manner so 
contrary to the general tenor of the version. This, how- 
ever, Bertheau accounts for, by supposing that the Hebrew 
text, from which the translator made his version, differed 
from our present Masoretic text. He appeals to the fact, 
that several clauses, or even whole verses, are found here 
and there, which are added to our present text. The fact 
itself of addition cannot well be denied. Thus in 4 : 4, there 
is added, at the close : " And my law, as the pupil of thine 
eyes." In the midst of 11 : 16 are inserted two clauses. In 
13 : 13, the same ; also in 14: 22 and 14 : 23, in the middle 
of the verse. In 22 : 21, there are some two words added. 
There may be a few other cases of this latter kind ; but not 
enough to make out an amount worth reckoning. In some 
of these cases, it would seem to be not improbable, that the 
Hebrew text has suffered somewhat by the omission of one 
or more clauses ; for the matter supplied in the Syriac seems 
to be quite congruous. But in others I should *be inclined 
to believe, that they came in the way of having originally 
been marginal annotations. We surely can make but very 
little of so few additions as are here, if we compare them 
for a moment with those of the Septuagint. 

Bertheau further remarks, that considerable departures 
from the Hebrew are to be found in the Peshito. He 
refers us to 7 : 22, 23. 15 : 4, 15. 19 : 20. 21 : 16. 22 : 24. 
But most of these departures are so small, and of so little 
importance as to the sense, that they are scarcely worth our 
special notice. Some of them are evidently nothing more 
than a different manner of translating several Hebrew words. 



§ 14. Ancient versions : Targum. 



81 



The result of all this is, that the general character of the 
Peshito for fidelity, is by no means impeachable. The addi- 
tion of some five verses in the whole book, would hardly 
serve as a good basis for an impeachment ; and most of the 
alleged discrepancies hardly deserve our notice, except for 
some special purposes of criticism. 

Thus much for this noble old version, which gives us a 
portion of the separate history of the Hebrew text ; for this 
image of it, I mean the Peshito, has come down from the 
first century of our Christian era, through hands different 
from those of the Hebrews. It is doubly important to us, in 
consequence of its being a version of the Hebrew so close 
and literal. Of course, it casts light on many difficult 
Hebrew words, although not upon all ; and it shows us, at 
all events, what ideas were attached to .such Hebrew words 
by those who spoke one of the Semitic dialects. The reader 
of it will much advance and expand his knowledge of the 
Semitic languages, by a diligent and faithful study of it. 
Walton's Polyglot is the most convenient apparatus for the 
Syriac text, as it has the vowel-points. The comparative 
study of the sacred books in different languages, is greatly 
facilitated by this immortal work. Whoever reads the 
Peshito version of the Proverbs carefully, will be ready to 
bear witness to the directness, and plainness, and faithful- 
ness of it. Never can he doubt that it is well worth special 
attention. 

ni. The Chaldee Targum. 
That the Chaldee Targum, i. e. translation of the Old 
Testament Hebrew into the later Chaldee, arose from differ- 
ent authors, is agreed on all hands. Of the Pentateuch, 
Onkelos was the translator ; and he rendered it into quite 
pure Chaldee. His version is generally close, faithful, and 
for the most part as it w 7 ere verbum verbo. In the small 
poetic portions of the Pentateuch, however, interpolations 



82 § 14. Ancient versions : Targum. 

have been made, which disclose themselves, and show that 
they came not from the hand of Onkelos. The work, as 
a whole, is the most perfect specimen of the later pure 
Chaldee which we have. 

Of the prophets, both former and latter in the Hebrew 
sense, Jonathan ben Uzziel is supposed to have written a 
Targum. The former prophets, i. e. most of the historical 
books, are more literally translated than the second, pro- 
phetic, poetic part. In general, his version is less true and 
literal than that of Onkelos. He indulges himself at times 
in the introduction of Midrash, and even some brief Hagga- 
doth. But he is well worth consulting in very many cases, 
where obscure and difficult Hebrew words occur. 

The Jews generally assign the Hagiographal Targum to 
Joseph the Blind, a somewhat uncertain, if not a mythic per- 
sonage. Nothing is more evident than that the Targums 
of this portion of Scripture came from different hands, at 
different times. Such is the diversity of style, manner, and 
even language, of the Targums, in different books, that any 
other supposition is altogether improbable. Compare, for 
example, the Targum on the Proverbs and on Canticles. 

Among the Hagiographal Targums, those of Psalms, Job, 
and Proverbs, are distinguished for their qualities. These 
books constitute the only ones which are acknowledged by 
the Rabbins of older times to be poetical. The symbolic 
name of these, among the Jews, is the word troR , which 
means truth. The letter a stands for ni^JS: , Job ; a stands 
for d^V&a, Proverbs; and 5n for thrift , Psalms. Because 
these three books constituted the corpus of Hebrew poets, 
(if we accede to the Masorites), and because they are better 
translated than the rest of the Hagiography, a confident 
opinion has arisen, and has often been expressed, that they 
came from one and the same hand ; and not only so, but 
that they were executed " as near to each other in point of 
time, as the nature of the case would permit. We must 



§ 14. Ancient versions : Targum. 83 



examine this matter a little, because the character of the 
Targum on the Proverbs is deeply concerned with it. 

Le Long, in his Biblioth. Sac. (I. p. 91), is the first in 
whom I find the Targum on ascribed to one and the 
same person. Havernick (Einl. § 82) says, that "The 
Targum on Proverbs stands so related to that on Job and 
Psalms, as to the manner of expression and comprehension, 
that all are rightly regarded as belonging to one and the 
same person." Zunz, a distinguished critical Rabbi of the 
present day, in his Gottesdienstliche Vortrage (p. 64), declares, 
that " the Targum on the Proverbs has the same linguistic 
character as that on the Psalms and Job." Bertheau con- 
cedes this, and says that we may deduce from it the conclu- 
sion, that all these Targums took their rise about the same 
time and in the same region, (Einl. in Comm. iiber Prover- 
bien, § 6). He next puts the Targum on Proverbs down 
very low, in point of time, because he finds the name Con- 
stantinople in the Targum on the Psalms, and the word 
(= ayyelot) in the book of Job. If the assumption be 
true, then the reasoning is well ; for surely it must be a 
late Targum, which could originally employ such words. 
Still, it is easy to suppose them to have once been mere 
glosses on the margin, which afterwards crept into the text 
since that text has been in circulation. Such words do 
indeed look very much like glosses explanatory. 

With all the deference due to such authorities, I must beg 
the liberty of dissenting from this judgment. I am bound to 
state my reasons ; and I shall now proceed to do it. 

(1) There are several characteristics of usage as to the 
forms of words, which widely distinguish the Targ. on Prov., 
from those on Job and the Psalms, (a) In Prov. we find 
everywhere the letter 3 used as the formative prefix to third 
pers. masc, sing, and plural, instead of the usual \ Exam- 
ples are not needed, except merely to illustrate the nature 
of the case ; e. g. 16 : 10, sing. = Smsfrj ; so third plur, 



84 § 14. Ancient versions : Targum. 



•p&iiw = J*i&WS in Prov. 2:22. Hundreds of cases occur 
of the same nature. So far as I have made out an estimate, 
at least one half of the Fut. forms, third masc. sing, and plur., 
are made out in this way, and about one half with the else- 
where usual and normal i formative. This is surely a very 
striking distinction, and one which shows that the Targumist 
of the Prov. was familiar with the Syriac dialect, so familiar, 
that the cases with 5 formative of the third pers. Fut. which 
are there normal, were, either consciously or unconsciously, 
carried over into his Chaldee version. This goes to show 
that both person and country, in this case, are different from 
those in the other case. The Targums of Psalms and Job, 
never exhibit this peculiar dialect at all. 

(b) In the later Targums it is a well-known practice 
occasionally to clip or abridge the plural formations of nouns, 
and instead of 'p— to write and read , thus making the 
absolute and construct forms of a noun plur. to be the same. 
Now in the Targ. of Prov., this abridged form is the much 
more usual form of the plur. absolute, so that the regular 
forms are the exception, and not the rule. On the contrary, 
in Job and Psalms we meet indeed with the abridged nominal 
forms, but merely as the exception, and not as the rule. The 
difference in this usage between the two books in question 
and the Prov. is so palpable, that it cannot escape the notice 
of any attentive reader. 

(c) There is a striking difference between the Targums 
in question, in respect to employing the word Jehovah. In 
the original Hebrew of Proverbs, we find the word God 
(d^h'px) only six times, while irrirn is employed seventy-six 
times. In translating ttitt* , however, in the book of Prov- 
erbs, the word Kinbtf is nearly always employed ; and very 
rarely can be found the word ^ , i. e. frjrn . How different 
in Psalms and Proverbs, where, in the latter, *; is the rule, 
and tfrfja the exception! This is another charasteristic 
difference, then, which is very striking. Nowhere in Prov- 



§ 14 Ancient versions : Targum. 85 



erbs is Sfwa employed as a periphrasis for God ; while 
in Job and Psalms this is not unfrequent. 

(2) The genius and style of the Targum on the Proverbs, 
is altogether different, in some highly important respects, 
from that in Job and Psalms. The former is preeminently 
literal and close, and, considering the nature of the book, not 
a whit behind the Targum of Onkelos. It stands side by 
side with the Peshito, and is very little, if any, inferior to it, 
so far as this book is concerned. In reading many chapters, 
I have scarcely found difference enough in the Targum from 
the Hebrew, to induce me to take a single note of it. In 
some very few cases, like those in the Syriac, there is a 
small addition, and sometimes the same which is made in the 
Syriac ; e. g. in 7 : 22, 23. 14: 14. 15 : 4. But on the other 
hand, the Syr. and Chald. more often differ from each other, 
where either of them disagrees with the Hebrew, than they 
agree with each other. This shows that the Targum is not, 
as Bertheau and others suppose, a copy of the Syriac. Both 
offer incontestable evidence of having been made from the 
original Hebrew. There is not in all the ancient versions, any 
specimen of a more plain, direct, intelligible, and faithful trans- 
lation than this Targum. Bertheau says, however, that there 
are many departures from the Hebrew in it ; and he appeals 
to 7 : 22. 10 : 3. 14 : 14. 25 : 1, 20, etc. But whoever ex- 
amines these passages, will find the departures too insignifi- 
cant to make much impression upon him. Put all of them 
together, they will nnt amount to so much as may be found 
in a single chapter of the Sept. Instead of drawing from 
them an argument to prove that the Heb. text of the Tar- 
gumist was different from our present one, we can deduce 
the conclusion with confidence, that in nearly all respects it 
must have been the same text w T hich we now have. So lit- 
erally and exactly does the Targum reproduce it in another 
language. 

Let us now turn for a moment to the Targum of Job and 
8 



86 § 14. Ancient versions : Targum. 



of the Psalms, and see what liberties they have given them- 
selves, in regard to the original Hebrew. 

Heb. Job 1: 3. His substance also was seven thousand 
sheep ; and three thousand camels ; and five hundred yoke 
of oxen ; and five hundred she-asses, and a very great house- 
hold. 

Chald. His substance was seven thousand sheep, one thousand for 
each of his sons ; and three thousand camels, one thousand for each of his 
daughters; and five hundred yoke of oxen, for himself ; and five hun- 
dred she-asses, for his wife; and service-labor exceedingly much. 

Thus much at the outset ; which, however, is a prelibation 
quite congruous with the sequel. 

1 : 6. Now there was a day, when the sons of God came 
to present themselves before Jehovah, and Satan came also 
among them. 

Chald. And it came to pass, on the day of judgment at the beginning 
of the year, that there came troops of angels, that they might stand in 
judgment before Jehovah, and Satan also came in the midst of them. 

1 : 10. Hast thou not made an hedge about him and about 
his house, and about all that he hath on every side ? Thou 
hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is 
increased in the land. 

Chald. Hast thou not by thy Word protected around him and around 
the men of his house, and around all which he hath round about him ? 
And the works of his hands hast thou blest, and his possessions are 
mightily increased in the earth. 

3 : 5. Let darkness and death-shade pollute it ; let a 
cloud dwell upon it; let the utmost bitternesses of the 
day terrify it. 

Chald. Let darkness defile it, and the shadows of death ; let a 
cloud dwell upon it ; let as it were the bitternesses of the day terrify 
it, — even the grief which distressed Jeremiah, when the house of the 
sanctuary was destroyed, and Jonah, when he was precipitated into 
the sea of Tarshish. 



§ 14. Ancient versions : Tar gum. 87 



4 : 10, 11. The roaring of the lion, the voice of the fierce 
lion, and the teeth of the young lions are broken. (11) The 
old lion perisheth, for lack of prey, and the stout lion's 
whelps are scattered abroad. 

Chald. The roaring of Esau which is compared to a ravenous 
lion, and the voice of Edom which is compared to a lioness, they 
rage as bears over their prey ; and his princes (who are compared to 
the lioness) separate themselves that they may seize the prey. (11) 
As the lion perisheth, when he hath no prey, so will perish Ishmael, 
because he hath no merit ; and also his sons, the robbers, who separate 
themselves from the right way. (Another reading). Ishmael, who is 
compared to lions, shall perish because he has no merit ; and the sons 
of Lot, who is likened to the old lion, shall be separated from the 
congregation. 

The like we find almost at every step of our way, through 
the whole book. But it is of no use to cite further ; i§ 
ovv%og — liovra. 

Turn we now to the book of Psalms. Here is more 
moderation, indeed, but still a like spirit. 

Ps. 19:12 (11). Moreover, by them is thy servant 
warned, and in keeping of them is great reward. 

Chald. Truly by them is thy servant warned : as their varieties 
were kept, so was the good of Israel accomplished. 

45 : 18. I will celebrate thy name in every generation ; 
therefore shall the nations praise thee forever and ever. 

Chald. At that time shall ye say : We will remember thy name in 
every generation ; therefore the people who shall sojourn, shall confess 
thy name forever and to ages of ages. 

46 : 6. God is in the midst of her, she shall never be 
moved; God shall help her, at the approach of the 
morning. 

Chald. The Sheehmah of Jehovah is in the midst of her, she 
shall not be moved ; Jehovah shall help her, because of the righteous- 
ness of Abraham, who prayed for her at early morning. 



88 § 14. Ancient versions : Targum. 



110: 1. Jehovah said unto my Lord: Sit thou at my 
right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool. 

Chald. Jehovah hath declared by his Word, that he would make 
me Lord over all Israel ; but he said to me again : Wait for Saul of 
the tribe of Benjamin, until he die, for there is no kingly dominion 
which will bring near an associate with it ; and after this, I will make 
thine enemies thy footstool. [Another Targum] . God said by his 
Word, that he would give me rule, because I have sat as a learner of 
the instruction of the law, at his right hand. Wait thou until I shall 
make thine enemies thy footstool. 

It must be noted, that these specimens by no means stand 
alone, as if they were singular or strange, in the Targums 
of these books. More or less which resembles them will 
be found on every side, if any one will take the pains to 
pursue an examination. Let it be noted also, that the 
Peshito has not the least spice of this Midrqsh, in any one 
of the passages above cited ; and so generally, in regard to 
all the Midrashim and Haggadoth of the Targums. What 
then becomes of Bertheau's position, viz., that the Targums 
copied the Syriac version ? 

But as to the main point before us, nothing can be plainer, 
than that the judgment of Zunz, of Havernick, and of 
others, as to identity of authorship in respect to the Targums 
of fea , is a hasty judgment, made up without much exam- 
ination, and at all events without sufficient grounds. We deny 
the assertion, in its whole length and breadth ; and we have 
produced witnesses on whose testimony we may rely. 

As we have no certainty in respect to the individual who 
was the author of the Targum on Proverbs, so we may be 
allowed to indulge a little in conjecture, keeping all the 
while in mind that it is no more than conjecture. It is 
plain that the Syriac translator has nowhere exhibited either 
the Targumic paraphrases, or glosses, or Midrashim, or 
Haggadoth. Now as the Targum on Proverbs has the 
same character in all respects, as the version of the Syriac ; 



§ 14. Ancient versions : Targum. 89 

and specially as the author of the Syriac has more than 
half the time employed 5 as a prefix formative of the third 
pers. sing, and plur. of the Fut, instead of the usual and 
normal , (thus showing a strong bias to use Syriac forms, 
and showing thereby that he was probably a Syrian Jew) ; 
putting all these things, I say, together, and bringing into 
the account the strong resemblance between the two ver- 
sions, viz., the Syr. and Chald., is it not quite probable, that 
the Ghaldee version was made for such of the Mesopota- 
mians as spoke Chaldee ; or at least made by a Syrian Jew, 
who was conversant with the Peshito, and imitated its main 
features ? I mean that he followed the general style and 
manner of the Peshito, not that he copied from it individu- 
ally, or made it a basis of his version in this special respect. 
Too often does he differ from the Syriac, to render such a 
supposition allowable. 

In this way we can account for what all acknowledge, 
viz., the resemblance between the Peshito and the Targum. 
The taste of the translator was formed by the Peshito ; and, 
approving of this, he has translated simply, neatly, and 
accurately. Invaluable would the other Targums be, if 
they were all like this. 

When this work was performed, is uncertain. I can find 
nothing which indicates a late period. On the other ha"nd, 
the tenor and spirit of the Targum, would seem to render it 
probable, that it was made not much after that of Onkelos. 
There is the same simplicity ; although the Chaldee is 
not so pure. But this depended more on individuality of 
character and talent, than on any particular time. The 
deepest Eabbinisms of the Talmud do not abound here. 
Neither the form nor the manner of any part of the work 
speaks of the Talmudical age. In such an age, it would 
hardly have been possible to make a version so true, simple, 
and literal as that of the Targum on the Proverbs. The 
universal remains of the later Rabbinical ages exhibit a 

8* 



90 § 14. Ancient versions : Vulgate. 



different taste and style of writing. Midrash was a thing 
of course to be expected in them ; and the later the version, 
the more does this, and also Haggadoth, abound. Hence 
the mare magnum of Rabbinism into which the Targums on 
Ecc. and Canticles plunge. Indeed, the general tenor of 
the Targums on the Hagiography, is widely diverse from 
that on the Proverbs ; so widely, that an earlier age is the 
only probable period of the rise of the Targum before us. 

IV. The Vulgate. 

Little need be said of this, as it is so easily accessible, 
and every one can compare for himself. In general, it is 
about as literal, simple, and faithful, as the Targum and the 
Peshito. Now and then, we meet with a case where Jerome 
read the text with different vowels from the present Maso- 
retic ones ; in some cases the similar letters are exchanged. 
These all, however, are not of any amount worth special 
reckoning. Jerome appears to have entered well into the 
spirit of the book, and in general to have understood it 
aright. 

The perplexing title to chap xxx. he has rendered nearer 
to the Heb. text, than any of the ancient translators. Still, 
one part of it is a singularity : " Verba Congregantis filii 
Vomentis, visio, quam locutus est vir, cum quo est Deus, et 
qui Deo secum morante confortatus, ait." He renders 
as a Part, of , to collect, and so makes out the Gen. Con- 
gregantis. But Vomentis seems to be a problem. He 
doubtless sought for the root of the strange word (tTjS*) in 
aip , to vomit, which he must have read in the Imperf. 
Hiphil, ^ == . Hence his Vomentis, (a personal 
name which is strange enough). For the rest, tttett is 
visio, and da? is rendered participially, or rather as a verb 
deponent. Cum quo est Deus, is made out from bawab , 
which he must have read b$ irwb , making i-oat out of 5r\5< , 



§ 14. Ancient versions : Vulgate. 91 

with, Yodh being used only as a mater lectionis. In the 
second case, this same word is rendered : Et qui Deo secum 
morante, which is merely a variation of phraseology. Then 
comes confortatus, for which we have no word left but bsK , 
and which must have been regarded by Jerome as the Part, 
of Pual, omitting (as not unfrequently) the » formative. 
Jerome, therefore, probably attached to it the idea of fed, 
supplied with food, and so, tropically, comforted. He seems 
not to have conjectured, that there were any proper names 
in the last part of the verse. * 

The Sept. translator has shown that the verse in question 
baffled his knowledge of the Hebrew. He sums up the 
whole verse thus : Tdde ley el 6 drrjo rolg marevovai #£op, 
xcu navo\iai. The rolg morsvovai it is somewhat difficult 
to make out, but still it may be done. They must have read 
k$ ^ini^b , i. e. to those who consent to or confide in God. As 
to the last words, xal Ttavofxai,, they are the literal rendering 
of ibSR) , Fut. apoc. of ii|sp . See Comm. on 30 : 1, where 
this hint is followed out, in the rendering and explanation 
of the verse. 

The Targum here gives the lead to our common English 
version, and follows closely the present Hebrew vowels. The 
Peshito is in perplexity : " The words of Agur, the son of 
Jakeh, who obtained the prophetic gift, and acquired strength, 
and said to Ithiel." In acquired strength, we see the same 
idea which in Jerome is expressed by confortatus est, i. e. 
the Pual Part, bsx , fed, nourished. 

It is obvious that, in consequence of the various hints 
given in these versions, the recent exegesis of this passage 
has been aided not a little. At all events, we seem now to 
have obtained a version which is more congruous with per- 
spicuity and with the context. 

The difficult word oip^,in 80 : 31, plainly perplexed 
Jerome. He has rendered the clause thus : Nec est rex, qui 
resistat ei. The nec is against the tenor of the sense, which 



92 § 15. Book op the Son of Sirach. 

demands et here. Had he rendered it thus: Et rex cui 
nemo resistat, he would have come very near to the meaning 
of the original. 

On the whole, we could not well dispense with the 
Vulgate. It is so far literal and close, as to afford either 
new aid in interpreting the text, or else it helps to confirm 
the other and older versions. 

> § 15. Apocryphal Imitations of Proverbs. 

Of these we have two books, comprised in the so-called 
Apocrypha. This contains books written originally for the 
most part in Greek, and at a late period, i. e. during the 
second century b. c. The usual names of the two books in 
question, are The Wisdom of Solomon, and The Wisdom of 
Jesus the son of Sirach, which last is also named Ecclesi- 
asticus, and thus distinguished from Ecclesiastes or Coheleth. 
We begin with the latter, because that, in all probability, 
it is the older of the two ; and which, for convenience sake, 
we shall call simply Sirach* 

I. Sirach. 

In the prologue to this book, the name of the original 
author is given, viz. Jesus, who was a Jew of Jerusalem, that 
devoted himself to sacred studies, and to " gathering the 
grave and short sentences of wise men who had been before 
him ;" and not only this, but " he uttered some of his own, 
full of much understanding and wisdom," (Pref). His book, 
" almost perfected," was bequeathed by him to his son ; and 
the last bequeathed it to his own son, Jesus, named after his 
grandfather the author of the book. 

It was written originally in Hebrew ; but the original 
seems to have perished long ago, and we have no specimens 
of it left, excepting about some forty passages, preserved in 
the early Jewish Rabbinical writings. These show that it 



§ 15. Book of the Son of Sirach. 93 



was written in pure Hebrew ; as might be expected from 
the character and attainments of the author. The Greek 
translation of the book was made by the son of Sirach (and 
grandson of the author), about a. d. 131. It must therefore 
have been written about a. d. 180 ; at all events, before the 
bitter and bloody persecutions of Antiochus Epiphanes, since 
no express allusion to them seems anywhere to be made. 
Chap, xxxvi. may perhaps be construed as having relation 
to these ; but I apprehend the meaning here to be more 
general, and it has too little of intensity. The Greek 
version which is before us, is doubtless a pretty faithful one ; 
since the author appears to be a modest and sensible man, 
and one well skilled in both languages, if we may trust to 
his Prologue. Doubtless the Greek version became cur- 
rent abroad, at Alexandria, and elsewhere, where Greek 
was understood, and where there were but few who could 
read the Hebrew. 

The whole work is plainly a designed imitation of the 
Proverbs of Solomon. But it is much more copious than 
the Proverbs, containing fifty-one chapters of about the 
ordinary length. 

In manner and form, the resemblance to the work of the 
true Solomon is somewhat striking. By far the greater 
portion of the book consists of parallelisms completed in one 
and the same verse ; like Part II. of the book of Proverbs. 
Yet there is nothing like the uniformity, in this respect, 
which reigns in Part H. It resembles much more Part IV. 
of Proverbs, where single couplets are often exchanged for 
double ones, or for treble, and even more. So in Sirach. 
It comprises some fourteen hundred and one verses in the 
whole ; and of these, at least two hundred and sixteen are 
double couplets, and some are treble, and some even more. 
Then again, there are a few examples, as in the book of 
Proverbs, of sentences completed by only one member of 
the parallelism ; e. g. 12 : 7. 17 : 10. 32 : 21, 22. 34 : 4, 5. 



94 



§ 15. Book of the Son of Sirach. 



37 : 3, 17. It is unnecessary to refer to the complex verses 
individually, as they everywhere present themselves to the 
eye of the observer. 

Besides these, however, are a large number of passages 
where the same subject is continued through several verses ; 
e. g. 4: 11 — 19, respecting wisdom ; again the same subject, 
6 : 18—33. So as to various subjects, in 9 : 1 — 9. 10 : 7— 
18. 14: 20 to 15: 5. 24: 1—34. 25 : 17—26. 26 : 1—27. 
30: 1—13. 31 : 1—10 and 25—31. 33 : 25—31, al. Chaps, 
xliv — 1. are a continuous and connected eulogy of the ancient 
worthies. Chap. li. is one continuous prayer. Besides these 
striking exhibitions of long-continued subjects, there are 
many more of a briefer kind, comprising two, three, four, or 
more verses. 

As to the poetry of the book, it is, as might be supposed 
in regard to a period so late, of the looser kind, in respect to 
a very considerable part of it. Indeed, one might well say 
of a large portion : " Nisi pede differt, sermo merus." Take, 
at random, as a sample of much in the book, a passage 
in 37: 12—16. 

(12) Be continually with the godly man, whom thou knowest to 
keep the commandments of the Lord ; whose mind is according to thy 
mind, and who will sorrow with thee if thou shouldest miscarry; (13) 
And let the counsel of thine own heart stand, for there is no man 
more faithful unto thee than it; (14) For a man's mind is sometimes 
wont to tell him more than seven watchmen, who sit above in a high 
tower. (15) And above all this, pray to the Most High, that he will 
direct thy way in truth ; (16) Let reason go before every enterprise, 
and counsel before every action. 

Here, if we except v. 16, there is scarcely a vestige of 
poetical costume. Yet there is a kind of correspondence in 
the length of clauses, such as may be found in some of the 
latter part of Proverbs, and in Coheleth. All this is char- 
acteristic of the later form of Hebrew poetry. 

The book contains a large number of excellent maxims ; 
and almost or quite an equal number of sentences, which 



§ 15. Book op the Son of Sikach. 



95 



rather incline toward tame and common-place ethics. 
Eichhorn has characterized the work pretty justly. He 
says : " The book of Jesus Sirach is a rhapsody of moral 
declamations ; of reflections both longer and shorter on the 
course of worldly things, on the modes of life and of wise 
living among men of all conditions, ranks, and age. It is a 
collection of various thoughts and sallies of the mind, some- 
times separate and sometimes connected; of common and 
discriminating, of witty and pointed sayings, which have 
respect to a wise and prudent use of life. It is a fit com- 
panion for the Wisdom of Solomon," Einl. iv. p. 42. 

This is not a proper place for pursuing critical character- 
istic into detail. We must therefore be content with a few 
hints more, which may give a general lead to our thoughts 
respecting the character of this book. 

With not a little here and there that is either flat or 
mediocre, there are some sentiments, also, which are erro- 
neous in a moral or religious point of view ; e. g. 3 : 30, 
" Alms maketh an atonement for sins." In 4:5, 6, the 
author recognizes the ancient superstition, (still widely 
spread among the heathen), that cursing by an envious 
and malignant man, will have a sure fulfilment. Some 
singular ideas appear here and there. In 18 : 9, he states 
the number of man's days, at most, to be a hundred years. In 
20 : 4, is a sentiment respecting eunuchs, that at least seems 
strange. In 25 : 24, he says : " Of the woman came the 
beginning of sin," (adhering to the letter of the history in 
Genesis, like Paul, in 1 Tim. 2 : 13—15). In 33 : 25—31, 
is a singular paragraph respecting servants, which contains a 
strange mixture of severity and of kindness : " Bread, cor- 
rection, and work, are for a servant ; tortures and torments 
for him also, when he is idle or vicious. If he will not 
work, — put on more heavy fetters." This looks ominous ; 
but it is softened somewhat and amended by what follows : 
" Be not excessive in demands on him ; let him be unto thee 



96 § 15. Book of the Son of Sirach. 

as thyself ; entreat him as a brother, for thou hast need of 
him." This shows at least, that, although among the He- 
brews the punishment of servants was left at the discretion 
of the masters, yet the maxims of humanity were predom- 
inant, and all unnecessary severity was to be shunned. 
Singular, indeed, also, is 38 : 1 — 15, in respect to a physi- 
cian, and the aid which he may render. More strange are 
some things in 38 : 16 — 23, in respect to mourning for the 
dead. The thoughts concerning the leisure necessary to a 
man who would become learned, although expressed in a 
manner unique, and even in such a way as to provoke a 
smile, will yet address themselves with force to the sympa- 
thies of every real student ; see 38 : 24 — 34. 

Some of the writer's similes are quite peculiar. Thus, 
speaking of himself as having many thoughts to communi- 
cate, he says: " I am filled as the moon at the full," 39 : 12. 
In the doctrine of evil spirits who inflict vengeance, he is a 
full believer, 39 : 28. Yet there are no special traits of 
superstition, or Pharisaic views respecting the worth of 
legal rights and ceremonies; indeed, the direct contrary 
seems to be taught, in 8:9. 

Throughout the book, there is a high moral and religious 
tone. The great doctrine of retribution is everywhere 
advanced, as in the book of Proverbs and Coheleth. 
Yet the immortality of the soul, and future rewards and 
punishments, are rather implied, than expressly taught; 
plainly they are not taught as in Wisdom 2 : 23. 3 : 1 — 3, 
al. So far as the interests of religion are concerned, the 
book, with the exception of a very few verses, might be 
joined with our Canon of Scripture, without any serious 
injury. But with all the good which it contains, and the 
many prudential and excellent maxims which it inculcates, 
one cannot help the feeling, while reading it, that it is quite 
different from anything in the Old Testament or the New. 
Indeed, it is plainly a true copy of a pious Jew's feelings, 



§ 15. Book of the Son of Sirach. 



97 



at the time when the book was written. But we find in it 
no Messianic hopes, and no certain index to the then pre- 
vailing opinions of the Jews, in relation to this great subject. 
This seems strange ; and the more so, as chaps, xliv — 1. con- 
tain a eulogy of distinguished men, in the regular order, for 
the most part, of Jewish history. This last composition, by 
the way, is widely distinguished from all the rest of the 
book ; not so much by mere style and manner, as by a long- 
protracted discourse or eulogy, which ends with the famous 
high-priest, Simon, one of the Maccabees, and drops the 
subject with him, without an attempt to look into the future 
condition of the Jewish people, or at any deliverer of them 
from their oppressions by the heathen. 

That they were under such oppression, when the author 
wrote, is plain. Such passages as 36 : 1 — 14. 51: 2 — 11. 50 : 
24 — 29, and others which might be adduced, clearly show this. 
But before the time of Antiochus Epiphanes, the Jews had 
been treated with more or less severity alternately by both the 
Egyptian and Syrian kings, and also by their neighbors, the 
Samaritans ; see 50: 25, 26. Strong as 36 : 1 — 14 seems to 
be, it would probably have been much stronger had it been 
written under Epiphanes. It should be noted, that foreign 
rulers are complained of, and not native Jewish rulers. 

Nothing is clearer, than that the author was, through and 
through, a genuine Palestine Jew. His literature is all 
sacred ; his circle of knowledge merely scriptural. He is 
familiar with all parts of the Hebrew Scriptures, and alludes 
to passages almost without number, in Pro v., Job, Coheleth, 
the Pent., and also the Psalms and Prophets. Yet he has 
hardly ever quoted literally. He puts new costume on 
ancient personages, and so presents them to the reader, that 
the latter is sometimes at a loss to discover where they have 
been found or met with ; comp. e. g. Prov. 17 : 2 with Sir. 10 : 
25 ; Prov. 18 : 12 with Sir. 10 : 7. One thing is remarkable, 
considering that he lived at a time when Greek domination 
9 



98 



§ 15. -Book of the Son of Sirach. 



had been exercised for two centuries over all hither Asia, 
and of course Greek literature had been widely diffused, 
viz. that still, Sirach never manifests any acquaintance with it ; 
— a matter in which he greatly differs from the author of 
the book of Wisdom, who was thoroughly a Graecizing Jew, 
as to extent of knowledge. 

It is specially to be noted also, that there is, in this Jewish 
writer, not a spice of Midrasli or Haggadoth ; no curious, 
conceited, allegorical, or mystical interpretations of the Heb. 
Scriptures. This is the more remarkable, since Philo of 
Alexandria everywhere abounds so much in them. But 
such seems to have been the difference between the Alexan- 
drine and the Palestine taste, about the commencement of 
the Christian era. The Targum on the Proverbs, and the 
early Peshito version of the same book, speak plainly as to 
the same point, and shows that the mystical and allegorical 
among the proper Jews, was an exotic \>f later growth, 
although, when once domesticated, it flourished among the 
Rabbins belonging to the dispersed Jews, beyond all example 
elsewhere. 

Whoever wishes to make a comparison of this peculiar 
book of Sirach with the Proverbs, may select for a main 
topic that of Wisdom. Let him now compare Sir. chap. i. 
4: 11—19. 6: 18—33. 14: 20—27; and most of all, let him 
compare 24:1 — 25:12, with Prov. viii. ix., the former 
being designed as a kind of counterpart of the latter. Sirach 
is, indeed, not destitute of some fine sentences and noble 
sentiments ; but as a whole, how striking the difference 
between the imitation and the original ! In the former, there 
are many things which might well be spared, because they 
are superfluous, and which one would rather wish to see 
stricken out, because they approach the declamatory, and 
almost border on the puerile. In point of real fact, the 
imitation, when placed beside the original, can hardly be 
said to be anything more than a failure, — pardonable, per- 



§ 15. Book of the Son of Sirach. 99 

haps, but still rendering the picture unworthy of the high 
rank of that in the proper book of Proverbs. 

Everywhere the well-informed reader will find material 
for comparison between Sir. and the 0. Test. It would be 
useless to occupy room here with a list of such passages ; for 
they occur on almost every page. 

On the whole, as a specimen of Jewish thought, feeling, 
ethics, and religion ; also of Jewish exegesis and theology ; 
during the interval between the disappearance of the proph- 
ets and the coming of Christ, the book before us is well 
deserving of critical attention. It will richly repay the 
student, by the enlarged views it will give him of ancient 
Heb. customs, manners, and modes of thinking and writing. 
Had such a book come from the hand of a heathen Greek, it 
would probably have found ten commentators, where it now 
has obtained one ; and long since it would have been made 
a part of a classical course of study. As it is, few now even 
read it ; much fewer study it ; and yet it has more sound, 
prudential, ethical, and religious precept in it, than the whole 
body of Greek and Roman moralizers, from Socrates down to 
Marcus Antoninus. I know of no good reason, why a He- 
brew writer, who has higher eminence as a moralist and a 
religionist, should be put in a place below those to whom he 
is actually superior. It is true, that the Greek of Sirach is 
not as attractive as that of Plato and Xenophon ; but to me it 
seems not much inferior to that of Epictetus or of Plutarch. 

After all, as has already been said, the book does not, in 
spirit and manner, seem like to the books either of the New 
Testament or of the Old. There are some things in it, which 
are trivial and unimportant ; there are many which are 
mediocre ; while, at the same time, much of it would make 
no unworthy addition to the book of Proverbs itself. In 
animation, however, in graphic sketching, in energy, and in 
the power of making a deep impression, the latter book must 
ever be regarded as quite preeminent. This indeed, of itself, 



100 § 15. Book or the Son of Sikach. 



would not decide that Sirach should be excluded from the 
Canon. But inasmuch as some of the sentiments (e. g. that 
of alms making an atonement) are plainly wrong ; since the 
author makes no claim to inspiration ; and since the book was 
professedly compiled long after the succession of Heb. proph- 
ets had ceased, and accordingly has never been recognized by 
the Jews as an inspired book, or admitted to their Canon, 
although originally written (as Jerome testifies) in Hebrew; 
we cannot accede to the Romish arrangement, which includes 
it among the books of Scripture, even when this inclusion is 
qualified by naming the book deutero-canonical. 

One thing, at least, is demonstrated by the existence of such 
a book, viz. that the proverbial literature of the Hebrews, if 
we may so speak, was exceedingly rich. The first Prologue, 
(from the hand of Pseudo-Athanasius, in Synopsis Scrip- 
turae Sac), says that the author collected most of his book 
" from the grave and short sentences of wise men," and also 
"uttered some of his own." This, although no authentic 
declaration, at least shows what the opinion of the Christian 
fathers in the fourth century was, and in itself it looks quite 
probable. How many of these gnomes had come down 
traditionally from Solomon himself among the Hebrews, we 
cannot determine ; but that many of them were ancient, and 
sanctioned by popular and long-continued use, seems quite 
probable. It would be difficult to find such copious gnomic 
stores among any other nation. The Arabians, indeed, are 
very rich in this particular, as has been noted above ; but a 
large portion of their maxims and pointed sayings have an 
historical basis ; like to our rich as Croesus ; cruel as Nero ; 
ambitious as Alexander, and the like. In moral and religious 
gnomes, we could not expect them to abound as the Hebrews 
do. The simple fact, that such a vast store of gnomes, 
moral, religious, and prudential, existed among the Hebrews, 
shows that their minds had been busy with subjects of this 
nature, beyond any of their heathen neighbors. In fine, the 



§ 15. Wisdom of Solomon. 



101 



book before us, which displays the richness of these stores, 
has claims on the attention of all who read the Hebrew 
Scriptures, and wish to study the Hebrew character. Nor 
will a proper attention to it be without a due reward. 

II. The Wisdom of Solomon. 

Such is the current title of a book, belonging to the Apoc- 
rypha, and which seems to have been regarded by many as 
one of the genuine works of Solomon. It is useless, at this 
time, to refute at large an opinion which has so little in 
its favor. The question has long been regarded by most 
critics as settled, that the production is from a much later 
hand, — from some person who lived in Egypt and was a 
Jew, but who was extensively acquainted with the literature, 
the manners and customs, the superstitious and idolatrous 
rites, of Egypt and of all the countries in hither Asia. Two 
considerations suffice to show, that Solomon had no con- 
cern in the composition of this book. The first is, that the 
style is for the most part utterly discrepant from the plain 
and simple style of the Proverbs ; the second, that refer- 
ences are everywhere made in it to Isaiah, Jeremiah, and 
other late sacred writers, who lived some centuries after 
Solomon was dead. To these arguments we might add 
others, scarcely less decisive, viz. that the book was orig- 
inally written in Greek (no Hebrew original being ever 
mentioned as known) ; and also that it is filled with most 
demonstrative evidences of the knowledge of Alexandrine 
Platonism, as it existed at or near the time of Philo Judaeus, 
among the disciples of the later Platonism. 

Hence, even in ancient times, the more discerning among 
the Christian fathers rejected it from the Canon. The Jews 
never admitted it. To Philo and Josephus it was unknown ; 
at least, it is not mentioned by either of them. Athanasius, 
Cyrill Hieros., Gregory JSTazianz., and Epiphanius, declare 
it to be apocryphal ; and Origen omits it, in his catalogue 

9* 



102 



§ 15. Wisdom of Solomon. 



of canonical writers. It is almost needless to add, that all 
enlightened modern and Protestant critics reject it from the 
Canon. 

It is much easier to show that Solomon was not the author 
of the book before us, than to show who did write it. It has 
been attributed to Zerubbabel (J. M. Faber) ; also to Philo 
the elder (Drusius), a contemporary of Demetrius Phalereus, 
in the time of Ptolemy Philadelphus, and mentioned by 
Josephus, Cont. Apion. I. 23. For the former no good his- 
torical reason is alleged ; for the latter, it is enough to say, 
that Philo the elder was a heathen, while the book of Wisdom 
discloses, in every page, the hand of a pious and zealous 
Jew, intimately acquainted with all parts of the Jewish 
Scriptures. Not a few have attributed the book to Philo 
Judaeus ; and even in Jerome's time, there were some who 
were of this opinion, as he tells us in his Pref. ad Lib. Sap. 
Many things seem to favor this opinion. A large number 
of maxims, ideas, and hypotheses are found to be alike in 
both. The coloring of New Platonism is common to both. 
The like knowledge of Egypt, and of literature in general, 
is common to both ; and so far as time is concerned, Philo 
may have been the author, for he was born some twenty or 
twenty-five years before the Christian era. But Eichhorn 
(Einl. iv. s. 166, seq.) has shown beyond all question, that 
the discrepancies between Philo and the book of Wisdom, 
are too numerous and too important to admit of sameness 
of authorship. The agreements are sufficiently accounted 
for, on the ground that the author, whoever he was, lived in 
the same country, and at or near the same time, as Philo. 
Two men, brought up in the same philosophico-religious 
school, and surrounded by the same people and the same 
objects, must needs hold many opinions, and have many 
views, in common. Nothing can be more certain, than that 
the theological views of the author of Wisdom, are different, 
in many respects very different, from those of Philo. The 



§ 15. Wisdom op Solomon. 



103 



latter, in his views of the Godhead and of sin and holiness, 
was half a Platonic heathen, as Dorner has fully shown, 
comp. in Biblioth. Sac. 1850, p. 696, seq. ; the former is true 
to his Jewish origin and his religion. A holy God, making 
retribution to sinners, and rewarding the just, stands out in 
high relief, from every page of the book of Wisdom. In 
Philo's hands, sin and holiness, in their appropriate scrip- 
tural sense, scarcely develop themselves in a prominent way. 

There have not been wanting some of high name, who 
regard the book as of Christian origin. So Bunsen, in his 
book on the Church of the Future. Dr. Nitzsch, of Bonn, 
(Deuts. Zeitschrift, 1850, No. 47, seq.), has fully answered 
his allegations, and shown the utter improbability of such a 
supposition. Indeed, I know not how one can carefully 
read the whole book, and then cherish such an opinion. 
There is not one word about a Christ, present or to come, in 
the whole book. There is not even a Messianic longing or 
hope expressed in it. After a careful examination of those 
passages which are alleged to have their basis in the New 
Testament, I have found none which did not admit of 
another solution. E. g. Wisd. 15 : 3 is compared with John 
17 : 3, but may easily be referred to Jer. 9 : 24 ; so Wisd. 
15 : 7 is referred to Rom. 9:21, but may be easily traced 
to Jer. 18 : 6, or to Is. 64 : 8. Again, Wisd. 14 : 25—27 is 
referred to Eom. 1 : 28 — 32. But the two descriptions need 
not be so regarded, as if the one were dependent on the 
other, (for there is considerable dissimilitude), but viewed 
as springing from a like source, viz. a thorough knowledge 
of heathen character. And so of all the other cases, where 
similarity is said to exist, it either springs from a common 
source of quotation, i. e. the Old Testament, or else from 
a knowledge of facts common to both, or from traditionary 
exegesis. It was impossible for a real Christian to write 
a book so religious, and not once recognize the religion of 
Christ as already existing, or about to be introduced. 



104 



§ 15. Wisdom of Solomon. 



Of all the apocryphal books of the Old Testament, the one 
before us stands preeminent as to an express recognition of 
the immortality of the soul, and of a future retribution of the 
righteous and the wicked ; see 1 : 15. 2 : 23. 3 : 1, 4. 4 : 7 — 
10, 14, 19. The supremacy of the Godhead; his wise provi- 
dence ; his hatred of sin, specially of idolatry ; his propensity 
to mercy ; and his love to the obedient, are everywhere 
displayed and insisted on in such a way, as that the book, 
in respect to its main constituents, might very safely be 
admitted to at least a deutero-canonical rank. But hardly 
could we place it higher. In 11 : 17, we have a declaration 
which indeed is not altogether clear, but which seems 
somewhat plainly to recognize the Platonic doctrine, that 
God did not create, but only arranged and adorned matter 
without form : " Thy hand formed the world, S% afAOQcpov 
vXrjg ; " (contrary to the spirit of Gen. 1: 1 — 3). Chap. 8 : 20 
indicates plainly the pre existence of human souls, before their 
union with bodies. Much coloring also is given to various 
parts of the book, by the Platonism of the writer ; uncon- 
sciously developed, it may be, but still, as the book now is, 
this serves to distinguish the whole of it very widely from 
both the Old Testament and the New. In a word, since the 
Jews have never acknowledged the book as canonical, we 
may well accede to their judgment in the matter, at least if 
we regard a prophetic origin as necessary to make a book 
sacred ; or, if we demand of a book that, in order to be 
ranked as canonical, it must present internal evidence of 
close resemblance to the admitted Hebrew Scriptures, that 
resemblance cannot be found here. That the book before 
us can claim neither the one nor the other of these charac- 
teristics, must be admitted by every discerning and candid 
reader. 

Still, it is a highly distinguished and deeply religious 
book. Its author was extensively read in the learning of 
the times, and all Egypt and hither Asia are evidently 



§ 15. Wisdom of Solomon. 



105 



before him, and his allusions extend even to some of the 
Parsi religious notions, as well as to the different modes of 
idolatry. It is a book which deserves much more attention 
than it has received ; and one on which, I may add, we have 
no tolerable commentary in our language. 

But our specific object is not a critique at large upon the 
book. We have said thus much, merely to give the reader 
a general view. Our more particular purpose of comparison 
with the Proverbs, must now be pursued. 

Like the Proverbs, it exhibits a large number of gnomic 
precepts, couched in parallelisms ; but these in general are 
of the looser kind, and savor somewhat of the prosaic. Still, 
the number of verses, which contain three, four, or more 
clauses, is quite large, and specially frequent in the middle 
and close of the book. Many of these are merely a kind of 
measured prose. There is also a very considerable number 
of verses, which contain only one clause. Indeed, such is 
the internal structure of the book, on the whole, that we can 
hardly suppose the writer to have designed to write poeti- 
cally, — I mean as to measure. It stands out prominently 
and widely distinguished from the generality of the book of 
Proverbs in these respects. 

But inasmuch as the writer personates Solomon, and 
represents him as speaking, we naturally expect that he 
would have his eye on the writings of the wise king, and in 
many respects aim at imitating them. This he has done ; 
but how successfully, each one can decide for himself, who 
will take the pains to compare some of the topics which are 
common to both books. We must limit ourselves here, how- 
ever, to one principal topic, which constitutes the leading 
similitude between the two books. As Solomon was counted 
the wisest of men, and as he has presented us with a sublime 
and striking picture of Wisdom, in Prov. i— ix., specially in 
chap, viii., so the writer of the book before us, has, directly 
or indirectly, pursued this topic throughout his book. In 



106 § 15. Wisdom of Solomon. 



Part I. (chap, i — vi.), which is addressed to magistrates and 
kings, he points out the counsel which Wisdom gives, in 
order that they may live uprightly and do good to others. 
In this counsel is included many a maxim, which is of a 
generic nature, and might well stand in the book of Proverbs. 

These admonitions being completed, the writer next pro- 
ceeds, in imitation of Prov. viii., to eulogize and personify 
Wisdom. Chaps, vii — ix. are occupied with this subject, and 
with the expression of the writer's earnest desire, to enjoy 
the teachings of Wisdom. Chaps, x — xix. are occupied with 
exhibiting the blessings conferred by wisdom on the good, 
and the severe penalties which she inflicts on the foolish or 
wicked ; specially on those who are devoted to idol- worship. 
The example of punishment, taken from the plagues of 
Egypt, is repeatedly introduced, and the writer dwells upon 
these plagues, and adorns his style with much rhetorical dic- 
tion, and by the accumulation of splendid, and many of them 
poetical, images. But alas ! he has overdone the matter, 
and displayed not a little of erroneous taste and artificial 
rhetoric. Is this to be attributed to the wise king? No; a 
writer so artificially ornate, and showy, and sometimes all 
but declamatory, can never have been Solomon himself, nor 
even any one who had caught either his style, or his simple 
manner of thinking. 

Yet with this occasionally swelling and pompous rhetoric, 
and the evident efforts to write finely, there is intermingled 
many a vivid image, and many a truly eloquent thought. 
The later Grecian rhetoric everywhere gleams through ; but 
this does not wholly obscure or suppress what is highly 
worthy of perusal. 

I have already mentioned, that Wisdom is the leading 
topic of the book, — Wisdom as she is in herself, and Wis- 
dom as exhibited in the practical instruction and guidance . 
of men. We must dwell for a moment on this subject. 

I would premise here, that aoq)ia is the more usual word, 



§ 15. Wisdom of Solomon. 107 



employed to designate that wisdom of God which is mani- 
fested in his word and in his works. It has two other names, 
which, as employed in this book, are of nearly or quite the 
same import. It is sometimes spoken of as 7TvsvfLa, and 
sometimes as loyog. These are, indeed, too plainly of the 
same substantial import, to need any argument in the way 
of confirmation. 

The Wisdom or Word of God is personified in the repre- 
sentation ; and sometimes, as an energizing influence, it is 
said to be diffused over all creation, and to dwell in and 
guide the good and pious. A few expressions must be 
quoted to enable the reader to make a comparison with 
Wisdom, as exhibited in the book of Proverbs. 

Wisd. 1: 6. Wisdom is a loving Spirit ... (7) For the Spirit of the 
Lord filleth the world, and . . . containeth all things. 6 : 12. Wisdom 
is glorious, and never fadeth away. 

In chap. vii. the writer goes on to show how ardently 
Solomon desired communion with Wisdom, and what uni- 
versal knowledge of men and things she communicated to 
him, 7 : 1 — 21. Personifying her, the writer then proceeds 
as follows : — 

V. 22. Wisdom, which is the worker of all things, taught me, for in 
her is an intelligent spirit ; holy, one only, manifold, subtile, mobile, 
clear, undenled, perspicuous, incapable of harm, loving good, quick, 
incapable of hindrance, prone to do good, (23) Philanthropic, stead- 
fast, sure, free from care, all-powerful, overseeing all things, pervading 
all intelligent, pure, and most subtile spirits ; (24) For Wisdom is 
more mobile than all motion ; she passeth through and pervadeth all 
things by reason of pureness ; (25) For she is the breath of the power 
of God, and a pure emanation of the glory of the Almighty ; there^ 
fore no defiled thing can light upon her; (26) For she is the radiance 
of everlasting Light, the unspotted mirror of the power of God, and 
the image of his goodness; (27) And although but one,, she is able to 
do all things, and remaining in herself she maketh all things anew ? 
and in all ages, passing into pious souls, she maketh them friends and 
prophets of God. (28) For God loveth no one, except him who dwell- 



108 



§ 15. Wisdom of Solomon. 



eth in Wisdom ; (29) For she is more beautiful than the sun, and 
above all the arrangement of the stars ; compared with the light, she 
is found superior to it. (30) Night indeed will follow, but it will not 
prevail against Wisdom. 

From this soaring and adventurous flight of fancy and 
philosophy, the writer descends, in order to relate the doings 
of Wisdom in Solomon and in others, in chap. viii. " God only 
can bestow Wisdom," he says at the close, " and she is to be 
obtained only by prayer." Chap. ix. exhibits a specimen of 
praying for her ; and Solomon is alleged to have uttered 
such a prayer. The rest of the book exhibits the doings of 
Wisdom, in respect to the righteous and the wicked, by de- 
tailing a series of historical events recorded in, and drawn 
from, the 0. Testament. Very much of it is occupied with 
inveighing against idolatry ; and scarcely anywhere can be 
found more indignant sarcasm and cutting reproof in respect 
to this sin. Chaps, xvi — xviii. are occupied with a vivid, 
highly wrought, and in many respects poetic, picture of the 
plagues of Egypt ; which is brought to a close by a descrip- 
tion of that terrible night, in which all the first-born were 
stricken dead. The awful executioner, on this occasion, is 
thus described : — 

18 : 15. Thine Almighty Word leaped down from heaven, out of 
thy royal throne, as a fierce man of war, into the midst of a land de- 
voted to destruction ; (16) And brought thine unfeigned command- 
ment as a sharp sword, and standing up, filled all things with death. 
It touched the heaven, while it stood on the earth. 

Such are the views of the writer before us, on the subject 
of the Wisdom or Word of God; views partly Platonic and 
partly Hebraistic. To deny that they are in some respects 
sublime, would be to do the author injustice. Not a few of 
his conceptions are indeed lofty, and morally pure, and 
highly spiritual. An immeasurable distinction between 
Wisdom and any corporeal personage, is everywhere kept 



§15. Wisdom of Solomon. 109 



up. Yet plainly the whole is 'personification merely, and 
Wisdom is not a hypostatic or personal substance. 

A single look will tell the whole , story of the difference 
between the picture before us, and the truly sublime and 
simple representation in Prov. viii. We turn away from 
the comparison, after making it, with almost a rising dislike 
of the picture by the later and factitious Solomon, when 
viewed in connection with that of the original and real one. 
Later Grecian philosophers and rhetoricians might applaud 
the book of Wisdom ; for its style is adapted to their taste. 
We too may admire its lofty religious tone, its high and 
reverential regard for the God of the Bible, and its deep- 
toned abhorrence of heathen pollution and idolatry. We 
may well wonder, indeed, that there is so little in the book 
which will give any offence to a well-informed Christian 
mind. The author, beyond a doubt, was a person of uncom- 
mon piety and zeal for religion, so far as he knew what con- 
stituted true religion. We find in him neither Pharisaism 
nor Sadduceeism. He seems to have been a true and 
warm-hearted disciple of Moses ; while he was, as it were, 
unconsciously a disciple of the later Platonism. 

Hence the conclusion, that he was not a Christian. A 
man of feelings so ardent, must have spoken out plainly 
and fully concerning the Messiah. But not one word about 
such a personage, either as already come, or to come. The 
idea of a spiritual Messiah seems, indeed, to have been 
mostly given up among the Jews who lived at, or some 
time before, the beginning of the Christian era. A temporal 
deliverer was all they in general expected ; at any rate, no 
other appears in the books of Wisdom and of the Son of 
Sirach. In fact, it is quite doubtful whether we can find 
even such an one, who is a specific person. I am aware, 
indeed, that some have referred Wisd. 2: 12 — 22 to the 
persecution and death of Christ, because "the just man" 
who is persecuted, is called "the son of God" (v. 18). But 

10 



110 



§ 15. Wisdom of Solomon. 



this cannot prove anything important to the purpose in 
question, because, in the idiomatic language of the Jews, all 
good men were called the children of God. The passage is 
in its nature too general to admit of the specific application 
in question. The sequel to the text before us shows plainly, 
that the just man (in v. 18) is only a type or representative 
of the righteous in general ; see specially 3 : 1 — 7. The pas- 
sage in 3:8, is the only one that seems to be Messianic : 
" They [the just] shall judge the nations, and have domin- 
ion over the people ; and their Lord shall reign forever." 
The context shows, that this designates merely the ultimate 
triumph of the righteous, and the establishment of a per- 
petual kingdom by him who is the Guardian and Guide of 
just men. It might be Messianic^ if the context called for 
such a meaning ; but as it is, the context does not seem to 
allow of this interpretation. 

What is there, then, in all the book, to determine its age ? 
Nothing, excepting that the want of any reference to Christ, 
as already come, or near at hand, shows that the writer was 
not a Christian. The address to judges and kings, in i — vi., 
gives strong evidence that oppression and violence were 
then and there rife. The severe reproaches of idolatry in 
x — xix. show, moreover, that the writer was much annoyed 
by idol-rites and worship. He could not, therefore, have 
lived in Palestine, where idolatry never flourished, after the 
return from the Babylonish exile ; but, as the tenor of his 
work shows, he must have been a resident in Egypt. If he 
had lived at or near the time of the birth of Jesus Christ, 
then was there in Egypt, at that time, a mingled and motley 
throng of idol-worshippers, the old Egyptians or Copts, the 
Greeks, and the Romans, who had recently added Egypt to 
their domain. Doubtless these different nations had a rival 
spirit in the performance of their religious rites, and there- 
fore exhibited much zeal in the prosecution of them. All 
of them were idolaters, although of different classes. This 



§16. General Remarks, 



111 



fact will well account for the phase of the last part of the 
book of Wisdom. The book may have been written in 
Philo's time, for he was born some twenty or twenty-five 
years b. c. ; but clearly it was not written by him ; at least 
if diversity in the style, and in the manner of treating sub- 
jects, can decide anything in respect to such a question. 
The probability is, therefore, that some pious Jew, whose 
name is not given, either not long before, or else a little 
after the birth of Christ, wrote the book of Wisdom. It is 
singular, indeed, that his book is so free from all expres- 
sions, w T hich might help to determine the exact period in 
which he lived. 

At all events, however, while we have abundance of man- 
ifest tokens that he meant to tread in the steps of Solomon, 
inasmuch as he had assumed his name, we yet see, in the 
most convincing manner, how insufficient Grecian art and 
philosophy are, to enable a writer to imitate the genuine 
Hebrew authors, who were under the leadings of divine 
inspiration. The deep conviction of all this, which the 
study of the book of Wisdom gives, is enough to repay the 
reader amply for the labor which that study costs. 

§ 1 6. General Remarks on the Proverbs of the Hebrews. 

We have now come to a position, in which we can survey 
to advantage the ground of proverbial lore among the He- 
brews. We have seen how very extensive it was, even so 
early as the days of Solomon, " who spake three thousand 
proverbs," 1 Kings 5 : 32. Nothing is plainer than that, 
when the book of Proverbs was written, or at any rate 
when it was finally completed, there were great multi- 
tudes of proverbs which had been originated by others, as 
well as by Solomon, and which were then current among the 
Hebrews. The work of Jesus Sirach shows us a very 
large number, which were current nearly two hundred 



112 



§16. General Remarks. 



years b. c. The author of the book of Wisdom has exhib- 
ited many more, which are incorporated with the body of 
his work. At a later period still, we have a large accession 
also in the Pirqe Abhoth, or Maxims of the Fathers, among 
the Mishnical Tracts. Had we tjie whole in one body, and 
if to these were added the many gnomes scattered up and 
down the Mishna and the Talmud, such a book would con- 
stitute a Corpus Proverbiorum not to be equalled, perhaps, by 
the proverbs of any other nation. 

It is thus that the want of means to publish and circu- 
late books, occasions an active and energetic people to 
embody the result of their experience and reflections in 
short and pithy sentences, which are easily impressed on 
the mind, and are easily remembered for a long time. In 
this way, traces of the mental energy of an unlearned 
people do not perish or wholly disappear, by the progress 
of time ; for their character and their wisdom are ens tamped 
on the gnomes and apothegms which are perpetuated by 
tradition. 

There is a still more interesting point of view, in which 
we may contemplate this matter. The proverbs of a nation 
exhibit in reality, as has already been remarked, a history 
of its social, moral, and religious culture or condition. Max- 
ims and gnomes are perpetuated among any people, only 
because they accord with their feelings, views, and reason- 
ings. Of course, they are unmistakable intimations of its 
social, moral, and religious views or condition. ISTo history 
of its external relations, of its wars and conquests, or even 
of its political revolutions, can give us such an insight into 
the character and genius of a nation, as the current maxims 
which regulate their every day life. In these are embodied 
the mental reasonings, the moral feelings, the social propen- 
sities, and (in a word) the whole character of the interior 
man. And hence we might confidently say : Place before 
us the whole store of popular proverbs among any people of 



§16. General Remarks. 



113 



ancient times, and we will tell you to what pitch of civiliza- 
tion, refinement, and moral culture they have arrived. 

Highly important, then, in respect to a knowledge of that 
most distinguished people, the ancient Hebrews, is the gnomic 
lore, which has, through various channels, descended to us. 
Their external history, important as it is, makes them far less 
known to us, than this internal one. Consequently, as has 
been intimated before, he who intends to become extensively 
acquainted with their whole and true character, must study 
it as developed in their proverbs. 

It has often been said : " Give me the privilege and power 
of composing the popular ballads of any people, and I will 
readily concede to you all other means of moulding and con- 
forming them to your wishes." This may be true as to 
cherishing a military or a patriotic spirit ; and perhaps it 
may reach even farther than this. But I would say with 
double emphasis : " Give me the power and privilege of 
composing all of a nation's proverbs, and of making them 
popular and current, and all you can do with books and 
treatises will have less influence upon the mass of them, than 
the homely maxims which are in every body's mouth and in 
every heart." 

I would further remark, that, if we may judge of the ancient 
Hebrew nation by their proverbial lore, we must surely place 
them in an elevated rank among the nations of former times, 
as to their social, moral, and religious views. In vain do we 
go to Hindoostan, to Persia, to Arabia, to Greece, or to Rome, 
for any such body of popular maxims to regulate both the 
heart and life, as we find among the Hebrews. In all this, 
the elevating influence of the Old Testament religion on the 
national character becomes a plain and palpable fact. In 
literary cultivation the Greeks exceeded them ; and in later 
times, the Romans. But this kind of cultivation seems to 
have produced but a partial influence on the moral and 
religious state of those heathen nations. And although bad 
10* 



114 



§ 17. Arabic Proverbs. 



men among the Hebrews were never wanting, in any age, 
yet that the mass of the nation should have chosen and re- 
tained the gnomic precepts that have been recorded in their 
books, is evidence not to be gainsayed of their superior moral 
culture, and of their general social and moral condition. 

Having ventured on such an assertion, I must crave the 
liberty to offer some specimens of heathen proverbs in order 
to substantiate it. I can of course present here only a few 
of these ; and that few I shall confine to the nations of 
Arabia and of Greece, who bordered on Palestine. What I 
do select, will be limited, moreover, to those only which ap- 
pear to be among the more important, and which are most 
worthy of the comparison in question. The great mass of 
them, (which are indeed not without significance, but are 
comparatively less important), I must of necessity omit. 

§ 17. Specimen of Arabic Proverbs. 

In the second edition of Erpenius's Arabic Grammar, with 
Notes by A. Schultens, is inserted, among other things, 
and in the way of helping to make out a Chrestomathy, a 
Century of Arabic Proverbs, i. e. a hundred proverbs, selected 
from the large mass of Arabic proverbial loi;e. The design 
of these is to present specimens of the best part of this species 
of composition. From these I shall select and translate as 
many as the present occasion will allow, in order that the 
reader may compare them with the Proverbs of Solomon. 
The numbers prefixed, correspond to those prefixed in Erpe- 
nius ; so that the original Arabic may be easily found and 
compared, by any one desirous of so doing. 

(1) The heginning of wisdom is the fear of God. 

(2) The learned man, in his own native land, is like gold in the 
mine. 

(3) He who regards himself as a wise man, both God and man will 
regard him as an ignorant one. 



§ 17. Arabic Proverbs* 



115 



(4) Whoever desireth to become powerful in wisdom, he must not 
let women rule over him. 

(5) It is easier to withdraw a malicious man from his malice, than 
a melancholy one from his sadness. 

(6) Beware of him, whom thou knowest not well. 

( 7 ) He who is borne onward in the chariot of hope, will have pov- 
erty for a companion. 

(9) In the head of an orphan, the surgeon obtaineth knowledge for 
himself. 

(11) It is better for thee to keep thine own secret, than that others 
should keep it for thee. 

(15) A fool who is his own enemy, — how can he be the friend of 
another'? 

(18) Long experience is increase of knowledge. 

(19) If all men should become wise, the world would be depopulated. 

(20) Eobbery taketh away much wealth. 

(21) Sloth and much sleep remove from God, and bring on poverty. 

(23) Do good, if you desire others to do good to you. 

(24) Correct thyself that thou mayest correct others. 

(25) The beginning of anger is madness, and its end is sorrow. 

(27) The man whom concupiscence overcometh, will perish. 

(28) Religious duty slayeth concupiscence. 

(29) A wise enemy is better than a friend who is a fool. 

(30) To abstain from coveting, is to be rich. 

(32) Poverty is better than forbidden riches and unjust gain. 

(33) The tongue of a mute is better than the tongue of him who 
uttereth falsehood. 

(34) The worst of men, is a learned man who profiteth not by his 
learning. 

(35) There are two who are never satisfied : he who seeketh after 
learning, and he who seeketh after wealth. 

(36) A person without instruction is a body without a soul. 
(39) He who multiplieth words, will slip up. 

(41) A learned man in exile, is better than a pensioned fool. 

(42) Hear and learn ; keep silence and have peace. 

(46) Patience is the key of joy, but haste is the key of penitence. 

(48) He who justifieth himself without being blamed, will bring 
blame upon himself. 

(50) Three are not profited by three, the noble by the ignoble, men 
of probity by those without probity, the wise man by the fool. 



116 



§ 17. Arabic Proverbs. 



(52) He is the wisest man, who looketh at the end. 

(53) Three things are unknown, except in three places; bravery 
is not known except in war, a wise man is not known except in anger, 
nor a friend except in time of need. 

(54) He who cannot tell good from evil, must be joined with beasts. 

(56) A wise man is not wise, until he has conquered all his lusts. 

(57) He who maketh experiments, increaseth knowledge; he who 
taketh everything upon trust, increaseth error. 

(59) When thou hast uttered a word, it hath the mastery over thee ; 
when thou hast not uttered it, thou hast the mastery over it. 
(61) Seek knowledge from the cradle to the grave. 
(64) He who praiseth obscurity perpetuateth it. 
(66) The love of the world and of riches is the source of all sin. 
(69) Whatever is in the hands of a servant belongeth to his master. 
(71) The world is a carcase, and they who seek it are dogs. 

(74) Reckon not thyself with men, so long as anger getteth the 
better of thee. 

(75) Be content with what God giveth, and thou shalt be rich. 

(76) Abstinence is a tree, whose root is contentment and its fruit 
quietude. 

(76) The visitor is in the grasp of him who is visited. 

(79) A camel kneeleth down in the place of a camel. 

(80) The world consisteth of a sufficiency, and not of an abundance. 
(83) Rare visits increase love. 

(86) Perfection consisteth in three things; devotion in religion, 
patience in adversity, and prudence in life. 

(87) A ruler without justice is a river without water. 

(89) Learning without action is like a cloud without rain. 

(90) He who honoreth his father, prolongeth his days. 

(91) A rich man without liberality is like a tree without fruit. 

(92) A poor man without patience is like a lamp without oil. 

(93) A youth without penitence is like a house without a roof. 

(94) A woman without modesty is like meat without salt. 

(95) One day of the learned man is worth the whole life of an 
unlearned one. 

(98) Show not thine enmity to thine enemy, nor to him who 
envieth thee. 

(99) Undertake nothing, until thou hast well considered it. 

(100) Talk not with a fool, neither have any intercourse with him, 
for nothing will shame him. 



§ 17. Arabic Proverbs. 



117 



Very few of these maxims need any explanation. Re- 
specting those which may seem doubtful, I will add a word 
for the sake of the reader. 

In No. 9, the chirurgeon or surgeon is represented as 
choosing the orphan's head for the purpose of dissection, i. e. 
of examination. The gist of the proverb lies not in the 
assertion that knowledge is acquired by dissecting a head, 
but in the assertion that an orphan's head is selected as the 
subject of operation. He has no parents to prevent the 
profanation of his dead body, and to rescue it from a treat- 
ment to which the bodies of criminals only were subjected. 
The surgeon, desirous of knowledge, ventures on obtaining 
it by dissection in such a case, without the fear of being 
brought to punishment. The moral of the gnome seems to 
be, that men, under pretence of accomplishing something 
useful, will invade the rights of others who cannot avenge 
themselves, in order to secure some advantage. 

No. 19 is a sarcasm on women. The somewhat occult 
meaning is, that if all men were ivise, they would abstain 
from marriage and from sexual intercourse, and so the 
world would soon become depopulated. In reality, the 
gnome is the outpouring of bitter irony, against the woes 
of an unlucky union in marriage. 

No. 79 is of partial application, being used only in refer- 
ence to such things as, being alike, usually follow one another 
in succession. We say : " Like begets like," to the same 
purpose. The original imagery is taken from a spring or 
watering-place, where camels successively kneel to drink, 
each taking the same attitude and the same place which its 
predecessor occupied. The general meaning of all the rest 
of the proverbs here, will be obvious to every intelligent 
reader. 

In No. 39, will slip up is the literal meaning of the Ara- 
bic; we might give the secondary meaning of the Arabic 
verb, viz., will err. But the other is more graphic. This 



118 



§ 17. Arabic Proverbs. 



corresponds well in sentiment with Ecc. 5:3, "A fool's 
voice is known by the multitude of words ; " and also to 
5:7, " Many words are vanities." It is evident at first 
sight, that the same sentiment for substance is common to 
all these declarations. 

It will not escape the notice of the considerate reader, 
how often the Oriental proneness to comparison and meta- 
phor, manifests itself in these very brief maxims. Let him 
cast his eye over Nos. 7, 36, 46, 76, 87, 89, 91, 92, 93, 94. 
No. 71 is very striking: "The world is a carcase; and they 
who seek it, are dogs." There is a kind of playful but cut- 
ting sarcasm in this ; and above all, when we consider the 
full tropical import of the word dogs. The like says Paul : 
" Beware of dogs," Phil. 3:2; and also John, Rev. 22 : 15, 
" Without are dogs" 

Every one must be struck, moreover, with some surprise, 
at the numerous maxims that are here found, which corre- 
spond altogether in spirit, and some of them even in diction, 
with what is said in the Scriptures. Let him compare Nos. 
1, 20, 21, 23, 24, 25, 32, 39, 42, 54, 66, 75, 83, 87, 90, 98, 
99, 100, with corresponding declarations of the Bible, which 
he may easily find ; for in this way he may learn, how well 
the morale of the Scriptures corresponds with the conclusions 
of sober reason and conscience in the breasts of even the 
heathen, when somewhat enlightened. He may also learn 
in this way, that Solomon probably adopted many of the 
maxims of social life as true, and gave them his sanction, 
not because he composed them de novo, but because they 
were true. 

In regard to the parallelism, (which we find everywhere 
prevalent in the proverbial lore of the Hebrews), we find it 
in Arabic but seldom ; and even then it seems rather to be 
accidental than expressly designed. Most of the Arabic prov- 
erbs, moreover, are very short, as well as pithy. Yet we now 
and then meet with a protracted one, like some of the long 



§ 17. Arabic Proverbs. 



119 



ones in the latter part of the book of Proverbs; No. 53 
above affords an example. In No. 70 of Erpenius, we have 
another specimen : " A fool is known by six properties ; that 
he is angry without reason ; that he speaks useless things ; 
that he trusts every and any one ; that he changes when 
there is no reason for change ; that he seeks what does not 
belong to him ; and that he does not distinguish his friend 
from his enemy." But the like to these, as to length, very 
seldom occurs. 

One other circumstance will cast some light on the 
frequent occurrence of two things, three things, and four 
things, (which seem at first view so strange), in Prov. xxx. 
In the Centuria of Erpenius, Nos. 35, 44, give us specimens 
of twos ; Nos. 50, 53, 86, of threes ; and No. 70 above, of 
six. Both these and Proverbs xxx., taken together, and 
compared with Amos i. ii., will show how deeply such modes 
of expression have been engraved on the Oriental mind 
and discourse. 

Finally, I cannot refrain from the remark that, in a mere 
aesthetical point of view, the Hebrew proverbs are, for the 
most part, altogether superior to the Arabic. There is more 
point, vivacity, and energy in most of them. Yet some of 
the Arabic gnomes are very striking. But if we go from 
the aesthetical ground to the moral and religious one, com- 
parison can hardly be made between them. The social 
morale of the Arabic is good ; but the higher considerations 
of accountability to God and retribution, of our relations to 
God, and of our duties which grow out of these, stand in 
high relief on the Hebrew picture, and only in the back- 
ground in the Arabic one. Others may impute this to what 
natural causes they see fit ; but my persuasion is, that it 
comes by reason of special divine illumination upon the 
minds of the Hebrews. 

For the rest ; the proverbs of the Arabians are exceedingly • 
numerous. The Extracts ( Pars ) from Meidani, by H. A. 



120 



§ 18. Greek Proverbs. 



Schultens (Lug. Bat. 1795), consist of four hundred and 
fifty-four proverbs ; and there are several other and much 
larger collections besides this. Most of these have an historical 
basis, instead of a generic and abstract meaning. The like 
of this we sometimes find in the Hebrew Scriptures ; e. g. 
"Is Saul also among the prophets?" 1 Sam. 10 : 11. 19 : 24, 
and the like in other places. We find, in Meidani, that the 
great mass is of the following type : " More avaricious than 
Madara ; " " More pious than Amallas ; " " Colder than the 
north wind — than ice — than hail — than the day after the 
rain ; " " Farther off than the vulture's eggs — than the stars 
— than the Pleiades ;" "More odious than the visage of sellers 
in a dull market ; " " More arrogant than Thakis ; " " More 
liberal than Hatem." With these and the like are intermin- 
gled now and then a preceptive or didactic gnome which is 
of a generic tenor. 

Every one sees at once, therefore, that the gist of the great 
mass of Arabic proverbs, can be gathered only by a knowl- 
edge of particular persons, things, and places. Not so with 
the Hebrews. Doubtless, however, the Hebrew people had 
in general circulation many such proverbs as the Arabic 
presents ; yet only a few of these have been committed to 
writing in the Sacred Records. 

§ 18. Specimens of Greek Proverbs. 

These might be found in their highest perfection, in the 
writings of Plato and Xenophon which exhibit the conversa- 
tions of Socrates, who abounded in maxims. They might 
be found, in great abundance, in a didactico-poetic form in 
the choruses of the Greek Tragedies, i. e. in the works of 
Aeschylus, Euripides, and Sophocles. Above all, is Aeschy- 
lus the distinguished religious and moral poet of the Greeks. 
The lofty form given to moral maxims, in the exquisite 
choruses which display the highest talent of the poets, would, 



§ 18. Greek Proverbs. 



121 



in an aesthetic point of view, make them to compete with the 
Hebrew poetic gnomes. From Plutarch, from Epictetus, 
and others, a large accession to these stores might be selected. 
But it would lead me too far away, should I pursue this 
method of illustration ; and it would also detain the reader 
longer than he would wish, should we attempt to travel over 
this ground. I shall content myself, therefore, with a brief 
selection, from the sayings of some of the Greek poets, who are 
styled Gnomici Poetae Graeci. I use the edition of Brunck, 
18mo. 1784. 

Theognis (fl. 549 b. c.) thus expresses himself: — 

(1 ) The sun looks down on no man now living, who is entirely good 
and temperate. 

(2) All things do not take place in accordance with the earnest 
wishes of men, for the immortals are much better than mortals, (ib.) 

(3) Everyone honoreth the rich, and dishonoreth the poor; yet 
there is the same mind in all. [All men have the same or the like 
intelligent spirit ; and so, in this respect, all men are equal.] 

(4) There are all kinds of bad dispositions in men, and all kinds of 
virtuous ones, and of contrivances for livelihood. 

(5) It is a base thing, that a drunken man should consort with sober 
ones ; and a base thing, if a sober man abide with dmnkards, p. 27. 

(6) Youth and early life render a man light-minded ; yea, they rob 
many of their minds even to distraction, (ib.) 

(7) Take counsel twice and thrice, as to whatever may come into 
thy mind, for a hasty man is a doomed one. 

(8) Knowledge and modesty follow the good; not indeed the mul- 
titude, but certainly the few. 

(9) Hope and danger among men are alike, for they are both 
troublesome demons. ' 

(10) Swear not that this thing shall not be, for the gods will con- 
trol, to whom belongeth the end, (p. 26, seq.) 

My next extract is from the remains of Solon, (a contem- 
porary of Theognis), the famous Athenian legislator ; Brunck, 
ut sup. p. 73. 

(11) He is a happy man, who hath beloved children, horses whose 
hoofs are uncloven, and hounds of the chase, and a stranger-guest. 

11 



§ 18. Greek Proverbs. 



(12) No mortal is entirely happy, but all are subject to distress, even 
all the mortals on whom the sun looks down, p. 76. 

(13) In great doings, it is difficult to chime in with all. 

(14) I am becoming old, but I am always learning many things. 

(15) The mind of the immortals is. always hidden from men. 

(16) Satiety breedeth contempt, even when much pleasure folio weth. 
[Things luscious speedily produce disgust]. 

(17) By the help of the gods I have accomplished things unhoped 
for; and at the same time, no work is in vain, p. 84. 

The next following extracts are from Simonides, a con- 
temporary of both the preceding writers, Brunck, ut sup. p. 
99, seq. 

(18) A man can obtain nothing better than a good wife, and nothing 
more horrible than a bad one. 

(19) No one is altogether faultless or harmless, p. 100. 

(20) We should not think of one who is dead, (if we think at all), 
more than one day. [It is useless to protract grief, when there is no 
remedy for the evil suffered]. 

(21) Death overtakes him who shuns the contest. 

(22) Being but a man, say not what shall be ; nor, seeing a man, 
how long he shall be ; for swifter than the swift-winged fly, is our 
change of condition. 

(23) Our season of living is short ; but when a mortal man is once 
laid under the ground, he lieth forever. 

(24) Zeus only hath a cure for all things. 

From the Works and Days, usually attributed to Hesiod, 
a contemporary of Homer, are selected the following 
maxims : — 

(25) Whoever ventureth to strive with rulers, wanteth understand- 
ing, and undergoeth reproach and sufferings without the hope of 
victory. 

(26) Jupiter hath given this law to mortals: for a beast becometh 
food for beast, and a fish for fishes, and a bird for birds, because they 
are restrained by no sense of right ; but the better light of justice is 
given to men. 

(27) He deserveth the wrath of the gods and the hatred of men, 
who liveth without activity; like a stingless drone, the sluggard 
consumeth what hath been gathered by the labor [of others], p. 180. 



§ 18. Greek Proverbs. 123 

(28) Shamefacedness often maketh men poor ; confidence rendereth 
them rich ; that which is given of the gods, and is not acquired by 
plunder, is the better possession. 

(29) When prepared, do not put off a thing until to-morrow and 
to-morrow ; he who procrastinateth provoketh losses to his sorrow. 

(30) Silver is a second life to some pitiable mortals. 

(31) Time is to a man sometimes a mother, and sometimes a step- 
mother, p. 182. 

The next extracts are taken from relics of the Greek 
comic poet, Menander, p. 191 ; (fl. 300 b. c.) 

(32) Peace nourisheth well the husbandman, although among the 
rocks ; but war badly, even in the plain. 

(33) A daughter marriageable, if she say nothing, by her very 
silence saith much respecting herself. 

(34) I have never envied the dead, who is expensively buried ; for 
he cometh to a house which is the same as that of him who is buried 
without expense. 

(35) Do not find fault if I speak, although I am young; specially 
do not blame me, if I speak the words of reflecting men. 

(36) He who is severe toward his son in the way of admonition, is 
bitter indeed in his words, but paternal in his deeds. 

(37) It is not easy to check a weighty stone hurled from the hand; 
and so, with a word from the tongue. 

(38) He is the most powerful man, who best knoweth how to do 
most wrong to his fellow-men. 

(39) He whose body is diseased hath need of a physician; but he 
who is diseased in soul needeth a friend ; for a kindly word is an 
expert in relieving sorrow. 

(40) When one deems himself to have a mind in love, he will 
appear to another as having no mind. 

(41 ) He who condemneth before hearing openly, the same is a bad 
man, nurturing an evil credulity. 

It would be easy to make many remarks, in view of these 
proverbs, on the state of society which they disclose, -and on 
the difference between them and the Arabian gnomes. But 
this is not the appropriate place for commentary at large. 
I advert only to a few particulars which are of the more 
striking kind. 



124 



18. Greek Proverbs. 



In general, the morale, so far as it goes, is good. Even 
some measure of religiosity is developed, in several of the 
maxims. But let it be noted, that only the supremacy or 
sovereignty of the Deity is specially brought to view. How 
could a Greek, who in any measure believed in the popular 
mythology? regard the gods as either holy, or just, or good? 
With him we find, indeed, a disposition toward fear and 
submission ; but where, in heathen proverbial lore, is the 
precept to love God, and hope for his salvation ? And inas- 
much as God is love, and should be loved, all the wisdom of 
Greece falls short of teaching the main thing in religion. 
To teach this belongs only to revelation. Nos. 2, 10, 15, and 
indirectly 22, afford a specimen of the Greek theosophy. 
The want of perfection in all men, is exhibited in Nos. 1, 
19. The substantial equality of men is taught, in Nos. 
3, 33. Solon's idea of a happy Athenian gentleman (sit 
venia!) is strikingly exhibited in No. 11. One portion of 
the English gentry would like such legislation right well. 

The precepts concerning temperance, sober consideration, 
industry, slander, self-conceit, and the like, are in the main 
pungent and much to the point. If the reader will look 
back to Nos. 9, 31, 32, 37, 39, he will see, that a striking 
acuteness of observation and power of expression are very 
manifest. No. 37 vividly illustrates the heroism of ancient, 
and alas ! of modern times also. No. 39 may appear some- 
what obscure, at first view. In reality it expresses only 
this idea, viz., that a man desperately in love often acts like 
a fool ; which, we may well believe, is as true now as it was 
in Menander's time. 

On the whole, if we compare these proverbs with our 
present book of Proverbs, where the same subjects (at least 
in part) are touched upon, we shall see, that the Hebrew 
gnomes are graver, and withal have a stronger grasp. 
Above all, religious principle, the love of God and the love 
of man, and the doctrine of accountability and of future 



§ 18. Greek Proverbs. 



125 



retribution, are manifestly lacking in the Greek proverbs. 
And although some of these topics are touched upon in the 
Memorabilia of Socrates, for example, and some good 
things are said there, and also by Plutarch, yet the God of 
the Bible is so immeasurably different from the gods of the 
Greeks, (even their speculative ones), that it were irrational 
to expect from them a Hebrew theology. As Jehovah was 
not known to the Greeks, so they could form no appropriate 
precepts respecting his worship. 

In the mean time, if any one will compare the proverbs 
of the Greeks with those of the Arabians, he will easily 
see, that each class is stamped with peculiar national char- 
acteristics. We can only refer here to one example. No. 
19 of the Arabic gnomes says, that "if all men were wise, 
the world would be depopulated," i. e. all wise men will 
abstain from sexual connections ; while No. 18 of the Greek 
proverbs says, that " a man can obtain nothing better than 
a good wife, and nothing worse than a bad one." The 
Arabians have always held females in comparative con- 
tempt, except just at that season of life which is appropri- 
ate for writing love-songs. Accordingly, Mohammed, as 
most have understood him, excludes women from heaven ; 
for he supplies a new genus of women, viz., the Houris, for 
the use of his followers in Paradise. The Greeks divided 
their divinities, higher and lower, into male and female, — 
an idea which partakes of the impracticable to an inhabitant 
of hither Asia, tinctured with Asiatic notions. • Hence the 
Arabian readily utters sarcasms in earnest on women, where 
the Greek would only playfully utter them. Culture made 
a great difference between the two nations ; Discipline* 
emollit mores. 

How different are the views disclosed by the Hebrew 
Proverbs ! Father and mother are put on the same level in 
relation to their children. Eternal Wisdom is personified 
by a female, in order to represent her as attractive and per- 
il* 



126 



§ 19. Use of the Book. 



suasive. The marriage vow must be sacredly kept, Prov. 
5 : 15—23. "Wise women build up their houses, 14: 1. A 
good wife is a great treasure, 18 : 22. Yet the vices of 
women are not overlooked, 2:16, seq. 5 : 3, seq. 6 : 24, seq. 
7: 5, seq. The book, moreover, concludes with a delightful 
song, in praise of virtuous and energetic women. All this 
shows a state of society, and of moral and social feeling, far 
in advance of that which existed among the Arabians and 
the Greeks. 

One striking feature in the style of the Greek proverbs 
is, that there is nothing more than merely accidental, but 
never designed, parallelism in them. Even in poetry, (and 
I have quoted only such), this characteristic is wanting. 
The Greek poetry demanded not parallelism, but measure, 
i. e. artificial arrangement of long and short syllables ; the 
Hebrew demanded no regular measure of syllables long 
and short, but parallelism and a hind of rytkm among the 
clauses thereof. So much do education, state of society, 
country, and different occupations and usages, affect the 
tenor of any nation's thoughts and their modes of expres- 
sion. 

§ 19. Use of the Book of Proverbs. 

We do not resort, at the present day, to this book, with 
the expectation of finding Christian instruction in it, which 
is of a higher and peculiar evangelical nature. Its homilies, 
if we may so speak, are not on points of doctrine, but on 
those of moral, social, and industrial virtues. Religion, or 
reverencing and obeying God, is indeed often and everywhere 
a subject of regard. It is intermingled with all our social, 
relative, and personal duties. But the precepts here are 
generic. They are such as we might expect under the old 
Covenant, and are not entirely in the manner of the new. 
Still, although in one sense the Proverbs are not a part of 
the Gospel, (in its limited and appropriate sense), yet they 



§ 19. Use of the Book. 



127 



prescribe in morals, manners, and social and relative duties, 
the same things for substance which the Gospel, in its fuller 
and enlarged sense, requires. We may now employ them 
for a highly important purpose, viz. to inculcate justice, pru- 
dence, temperance, chastity, industry, and in a word, all the 
duties usually denominated either moral, social, or industrial ; 
and also reverence for God, and for his commandments. 

It may in truth be said of the book of Proverbs, that it 
contains the essence of what might be expanded into hun- 
dreds of discourses, on things religiously, socially, and 
morally important. The advantage it possesses over homi- 
lies on the virtues, is this, viz., that what is widely expanded 
in the latter, is concentrated in the former, and only the 
essence of the thing in question is expressed. Consequently, 
it makes a deep impression ; and this causes the impression 
to be lasting. A brief and pithy aphorism is remembered 
easier and longer than an expanded discourse. It is on this 
ground, that the book before us holds a high place among 
didactic books. It is a general regulative of every one's 
active life and social demeanor. And it contains matter far 
more grave and important, than any or all of the books on 
morals, which have ever been composed by those who were 
destitute of the light of revelation. 

We have many and excellent moral and religious precepts 
in the New Testament ; and most of them in a form which 
is not to be bettered. But the book of Proverbs touches 
many points not fully developed in the New Testament, and 
assists greatly in guiding the simple into the way of wisdom. 
Besides, it is pleasing to find, that so much of the book of 
Proverbs is available for us at the present time. As the 
gnomes here are never dependent on individual facts, or 
individual history, it is very plain that they must convey 
general precepts and doctrines, which are not dependent on 
specific time or mere individuality. Now as man is essen- 
tially the same being in all times and countries, there are 



128 § 20. Peculiarities of Exegesis. 



certain rules or principles, which have respect to his con- 
duct, that are always applicable. From the very nature of 
the book of Proverbs, its use is not limited to any age or 
nation. In reading the Pent., we find many laws and pre- 
scriptions, which were designed to be temporary and local ; 
and which, therefore, have now only an indirect relation to 
us. Not so in the book before us. There is very little in 
it, which does not apply to us at present, as really and truly 
as to the Hebrews. Of course, we can avail ourselves of 
it as a practical Vade mecum, in all the various conditions 
and circumstances of life, because we can draw from it 
that practical advice which we need. 

The value of such a book, couched in such brief, and 
pithy, and pungent language, and containing so much sound 
wisdom and practical judgment respecting the various affairs 
of life, is, and must ever continue to be, very great. Its 
usefulness will cease, only when men cease to live and act 
as men, in all their mutual relations and dependencies. 

§ 20. Peculiarities of Exegesis appropriate to the Booh 

On this subject, much cannot be said here. As a book on 
Hermeneutics is no part of our present task or design, we 
shall take for granted all the great principles of historico- 
philological exegesis, and merely make a few remarks, on 
some peculiarity in the application of them to the present 
book. 

This peculiarity arises from the fact, that the language of 
the book is so compressed, brief, pointed, and strong. There 
is scarcely any book which calls upon us so often to apply 
the golden mean between literality on the one hand, and 
flimsy and diffuse generality on the other. A multitude of 
the gnomes would be absurd, in case they were to be liter- 
ally interpreted. Some of them would be contradictory; 
e. g. " Answer a fool according to his folly ; " and again, 



§ 20. Peculiarities of Exegesis- 129 



" Answer not a fool according to his folly." Both of these 
are right and proper advice, in their connections, and for 
reasons which the context brings to view. And so of other 
gnomes. But the principal thing in the present case is ? 
that the strong and pointed language, so often employed in 
order to make the sentiment impressive, demands almost 
everywhere a degree of modification or tempering. So is it 
with most of the proverbs, which we employ in every-day 
life. Strong and pointed expression must often be put to 
the account of a design to make a deep impression ; but 
precision and exactness of sentiment must be made out by 
aid of the context, (if there be any which stands connected, 
for often there is none, i. e. the gnome is entirely indepen- 
dent), by reasoning from the nature of the case, and by 
comparison with similar declarations. 

Sometimes the modification in question has respect to the 
intensity of the language, and sometimes to its tropical 
nature. For example : " When a man's ways please the 
Lord, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him," 
Prov. 16: 7. Is this a universal truth? It stands in the 
form of one ; yet apostles, martyrs, eminent Christians in 
all ages, have often found their enemies very far from being 
peaceful toward them. 

So 16 : 10. "A divine sentence is in the lips of the king; 
his mouth transgresseth not in judgment." And do all 
kings pass sentence in this way ? Do kings' mouths never 
transgress in judgment ? In this case, plainly, that which 
ought to be is described, rather than that which actually is, 
although the form of the sentence is a simple and seemingly 
universal assertion. 

So 16: 13. "Righteous lips are the delight of kings, and 
they love him who speaketh right." And are there no 
kings, then, who love flattery, and therefore love lying lips ? 
And do all kings love those who speak that which is right ? 
So when the writer says : " Pleasant words are . . . sweet 



130 



§ 20. Peculiarities op Exegesis. 



to the soul, and health to the bones/' (Prov. 16 : 24) ; can 
there be any other valuable meaning here than a tropical 
one? Again, Prov. 16 : 27, " An ungodly man diggeth up 
evil, and in his lips is a burning fire." This is plainly 
tropical. But since didactic poetry does not admit of the 
figurative, in like manner and measure as that which is 
descriptive and devotional, we seldom find any difficulty in 
Proverbs on the score of tropical language ; or if we do, 
the solution is usually at hand. What is generally true 
elsewhere, in regard to tropical language, may be so consid- 
ered here. The usual rules which are prescribed, are 
adequate for the occasion. 

In respect, however, to intensity of affirmation, it is obvi- 
ous that we must often meet with it in this book. The bare 
attempt to explain the meaning of many gnomes, without 
any modification of the language exhibited in the assertion, 
would be wholly fruitless. The result indeed of a literal 
exegesis would, in many cases, be a downright untruth. 

When I speak, as in the title to this Section, of pecidiari- 
ties in the exegesis of the Proverbs, I wish to be understood 
that this pertains only to the frequency of the modifications 
to be made, and not to the mere fact itself of modification. 
There is scarcely any part of the Bible which is doctrinal 
and didactic, where the very same phenomena are not found, 
and where the same solution is not called for. But it must 
be obvious to every intelligent reader, that when sentiment 
is to be conveyed in the briefest, the most compressed, and 
the most animated and energetic method possible, it must 
assume many prominent and (so to speak) sharp corners 
and edges, which will cut even too deep, unless the inter- 
preter understands how to mediate between the form of 
expression and the real sentiment of it. 

Indeed, of all the books in the world, I should say the 
Bible is preeminently the one, which appeals most often to 
common sense and sound judgment, in order to be interpreted. 



§ 20. Peculiarities of Exegesis. 131 



To the common sense and reason of mankind is it all 
addressed ; and were it not for these, the great mass of 
mankind would in reality have no Bible. Any rule of 
exegesis at war with these, is ipso facto repealed. Set 
common sense, moreover, to judge of the meaning of 
Scripture, the single words being once explained, and it 
will rarely miss the mark. When our Saviour says, in his 
Sermon on the Mount : " Whosoever shall smite thee on thy 
right cheek, turn to him the other also ; And if any man 
will sue thee at the law and take away thy coat, let him have 
thy cloak also ; And whosoever shall compel thee to go a 
mile, go with him twain ; 99 does good common sense ever 
misinterpret this ? Matt. 5 : 39 — 41. These sayings of 
our Lord are unquestionably proverbial ones ; and they are 
to be so modified in expounding them, that the true design 
of the speaker may be brought out of them. Just so in the 
book of Proverbs ; for there are many proverbs in that 
book, which are uttered in like manner, and demand the 
same application of the common-sense rules of interpre- 
tation. 

If it be asked : " How can we know what common sense 
dictates as to interpretation ? " The answer is, that common 
sense, and that only, can judge for itself ; and if we are 
possessed of that, we need not be much at a loss what to do. 
Without it, all the technical rules in books of hermeneutics 
will be of little or no avail. And if any one aver, more- 
over, that u this judge is fallible, and may deceive us," our 
answer is, so is man, man universal, fallible. But still, he 
can trust many of the judgments which he makes. And 
so, for the most part, he can confide in his common sense, 
respecting this or that method of interpretation. 

In fact, fallible or infallible, it is the highest court to 
which we can make an appeal ; for enlightened and 
religious common sense constitutes that court. If these 
fail us, then we shall not be able to find any higher tribunal, 



132 § 20. Peculiarities of Exegesis. 



nor any further resort, in times of deep perplexity. No 
mechanical or technical rules will of themselves make a 
good interpreter. The idea that this is an art, learned like 
one of the arts manual, and that one can obtain a knowl- 
edge of it in the same way as the arts in general are 
learned, is a visionary idea, that never can be realized. The 
study and knowledge of rules may ward off many errors, 
and correct faults, in the interpreter ; but the positive part 
of his duty must be evermore under the guidance of com- 
mon sense and sound judgment. All the acuteness imagina- 
ble in philology, and all the antiquarian lore which any one 
may possess or acquire, will not of themselves make a good 
interpreter. They may very much assist him. They may 
be the sails even, or the steam-moved wheels of the ship, 
but it depends after all on the mind of the man who steers 
that ship, whither she shall go, and where she shall land. 
John Calvin, with a moderate skill in the Hebrew, and no 
very distinct and accurate perception, of the Hellenistic 
idiom of the New Testament, was, on the whole, one of the 
most able commentators we have hitherto had. Sound 
judgment, perspicacity, and simplicity, are predicable of 
him in an unusual degree. 

It needs such qualities as have been described, to inter- 
pret well the book of Proverbs. If Calvin has sometimes 
failed in interpretation, as doubtless he has, it is owing more 
to the general lack of information in philology and sacred 
antiquities, at the period in which he lived, than to any 
deficiency in his own powers of exegesis. An interpreter 
of the present day has many helps, of which he was 
destitute. 

On the whole, no one should object to the book of Prov- 
erbs, that its language often needs much modification. Nor 
can he well doubt, whether common sense should be applied 
to the interpretation of proverbs. The very fact, that most 
of proverbial lore is the result of strong conviction and 



§ 21. Exegetical Helps. 133 



concentrated feeling, expressethin language that corresponds, 
is of itself significant of the manner in which we are to 
interpret. Proverbs are to be regarded as proverbs, i. e. as 
short, pithy, animated sayings, which of course are to be 
interpreted as such. Let the interpreter of them beware, 
and not mistake costume for person. If he can dexter- 
ously avoid this, he may hope to gain a satisfactory knowl- 
edge of the book before us. 

§ 21. Exegetical Helps. 

It would be to no valuable purpose to make out a com- 
plete catalogue of these. I shall mention only those, which 
appear to me to be of the more valuable class. 

P. Melancthonis Explicatio Prov., 1535. It is needless 
to say, that Melancthon was both a scholar and a Christian. 

J. Merceri Comm. in Prov. Solomonis, 1651, edit. 2. 
Mercier seldom makes trifling or irrelevant remarks. 

Prov. Salom. a M. Geiero, 1725, ed. 2, a specimen of the 
older commentary, and of the manner of Geier. 

C. B. Michaelis, Annott. in Prov., in his Uberior Annott. 
in Hagiographa, 1720, 4to. A sound interpreter, and well 
skilled in the Oriental languages. 

Prov. Salom., edit. A. Schultens, 1748, in compend., ed. 
G. I. L. Vogel et Teller, 1769, (the best edition). Schul- 
tens has everywhere brought Arabic to bear upon the lan- 
guage of Proverbs ; and, while he has carried this to great 
and unwarrantable excess, he has still furnished many 
important hints to the interpreter. 

Umbreit, Commentar u. d. Spruche, 1826 ; a book which 
has many good illustrations, and exhibits much diligence and 
a good degree of learning. 

Besides these, Ziegler, a man of some note, has given a 
translation of the book, with Remarks (in German), 1791. 
And the like has Miintinghe done, in Dutch, which has been 

12 



134 § 21. Exegetical Helps. 



translated into German by Scholl, one vol. 8vo. 1800. Both 
of these writers are deserving of consultation ; specially the 
latter, who was an eminent critic and theologian. 

There are some essays on the ancient versions of Prov., 
which deserve attention, in I. G. Jager, Observatt. in Prov. 
Salom., 1788 ; also in Dahler, on the Sept. version of the 
book. 

The most critical and thorough work on Proverbs, although 
very brief, is that of Bertheau, 1847, in vol. vii. of the recent 
Exeget. Handbuch zum Alt. Test. There is more of true 
philology and criticism in it, than in all the commentaries 
which preceded. The Neology of the writer is scarcely 
apparent. He has shown in general much candor and great 
acuteness, in his work ; and I acknowledge myself specially 
indebted to him for many good hints. I have sometimes 
differed from him in opinion ; but I have assigned my 
reasons for differing. 

There is also a recent work on Proverbs, by C. Bridges, 
of England ; but, as I have not seen it, I cannot character- 
ize it. The older work of Hodgson on the Proverbs seems 
not to have excited any permanent attention. 

The leading writers of an homiletic cast, it is easy for the 
student to consult, if he desires. Henry, Scott, Adam 
Clarke, and others, have in substance preached very many 
sermons on the book of Proverbs, and not a few good ones. 
The aim of the Commentary which follows, is simply to 
develop the meaning of the Hebrew text. This once 
attained, every preacher of the Gospel ought, at least, to be 
able to make out his own deductions, and to construct his 
own homilies. If he needs aid of this sort, any of the com- 
mentaries just mentioned above will supply it. 



COMMENTARY, 



Part I. Chap. I. 1—7. 

[The first seven verses are a general introduction to the whole book. 
Yet the whole book came not originally from one and the same hand. 
As is shown in the Introduction to this work, other writers besides 
Solomon composed some minor parts of it, viz. 22: 17 — 24: 34, and 
xxx. xxxi. The original authorship of a part of the first nine chapters 
is, as the Introduction shows, not quite certain. There is no specific 
assertion, to say the least, of Solomon's authorship, in regard to these 
chapters. The title in 1: 1 belongs, as a general characteristic designa- 
tion, to the whole book ; and this professedly contains not only Sol- 
omon's writings, but also " the words of the wise" v. 6. Because the 
book consists mainly of Solomon's Proverbs, it is significantly named 
after him ; just as we often speak of the Psalms of David, when we 
intend to designate in a generic way the whole collection. Of course, 
then, if this be conceded, we have no other means of deciding the 
question of authorship, in respect to chaps, i — ix., than the comparison 
of the style with that of x — xxii. 16, which we know to have been 
written by Solomon; see 10: 1. But the two compositions are so very 
different in their tenor, that a real comparison becomes difficult, and 
but little, if any, satisfaction is to be gained from it, because the sub- 
jects are so unlike. So much can be said, however, in favor of the 
position that Solomon wrote the first part of the book, viz. that if the 
compiler of the book, in its present form, did not mean that we should 
attribute it to that king, why did he not prefix some special title, in 
order to guard against it, as he has done in 22 : 17. 25 : 1. 30 : 1. 31 : 1 ? 
But let the authorship of chaps, i — ix. be assigned to whomsoever it 
may, it alters not the contents of the piece itself, nor the nature of the 
general introduction in 1: 1 — 7, which evidently is appropriate not 
only to the first part of the book, but to all the other parts. 

V. 1 simply gives the general title. V. 2 indicates, in a general 
way, the object or design of the book, which is to communicate 



136 



Part I— Chap. I. 1. 



instruction as to wisdom, and to teach the intelligent discernment of 
instructive discourse. In vs. 3, 4, more particular specifications are 
made, in order more completely to unfold the general ideas of v. 2. 
The simple and inexperienced may learn, by what this book contains, 
sober considerateness, justice, equity, uprightness, and sagacity, as well 
as acquire skill in devising plans of action. In vs. 5, 6, the attention 
of even the wise is invited, in order that they may add to their knowl- 
edge and their dexterity, even so as to understand proverbial and 
pointed sayings, and discern the true meaning of what the wise 
utter in an enigmatical way. V. 7 admonishes the reader that wisdom 
cannot even commence, (much less be completed), without the fear of 
God ; and that only fools will despise the instructions of wisdom. 

The order of thought stands thus: (1) The general object of the 
book, v. 2. (2) The particular things to be taught, and the persons 
who are to be instructed (vs. 3 — 6), viz. first, the young and unwary, 
and then, secondly, even the wise may, by the things developed here, 
become more wise, and dexterous, and acute in discerning. (3) To profit 
by the book, without a reverence for God at the outset, will be expected 
in vain ; and none but fools will despise such an admonition.] 

(1) The Proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Jerusalem. 

The Hebrew word btin is of wide extent. Its original 
meaning is similitude; and hence it is often employed to 
designate compositions which abound in comparisons and 
similitudes, whether they be prophecies, or consist of didactic 
matter, or of pointed irony ; (see Lex.) The name is appro- 
priated mostly to discourse written in parallelisms, i. e. in 
the forms of poetry ; for in such discourse, similitudes are 
most frequent. Parable the word bwv may and does also 
designate, as Ezek. 17:2. 24:3. But more often is the 
word applied, as in the present case, to sententious sayings, 
gnomes, or pointed apothegms, where these (as usual) are 
composed in parallelisms or couplets ; for this last circum- 
stance shows, that the idea of comparison is not wholly dis- 
missed even in this particular use of the word. The running 
Hebrew title of the book before us is taken from the word now 
under consideration, ^tia (the plur. const, form) being re- 
tained, while, for the sake of brevity, the word ht&tif in the 



Part I— Chap. I. 2. 



137 



Gen. is omitted. It is unnecessary, however, to interpret 
this generic title-word very strictly or narrowly, as if all the 
book consisted merely of gnomes ; for it is plain, from the 
latitude of meaning which the word has, as explained above, 
that it will cover all the ground occupied by this book. 
Solomon is, at all events, the principal, if not the only author ; 
and the book may, therefore, be well and appropriately 
named after him. 

Tjba in this case refers to Solomon, and not to David. 
The two last words are in apposition with the two preceding 
ones ; and each of these two clauses, in and by itself, serves 
to designate Solomon more specifically. — Israel is here the 
generic appellation (as often) of all the descendants of Israel 
or Jacob, i. e. of the nation en masse* 

(2) In order that one may know wisdom and instruction that one 
may understand the words of the intelligent. 

twih , for h , see § 100. 1. c. For Inf. wi (from sn;), see 
§ 68; 3. n. 1. — Wisdom usually means here, not mere saga- 
city, but a considerate and discerning state of mind in regard 
to the whole circle of duty, moral, religious, and prudential. 
— Instruction, ^wo, is that which is communicated by 
teachers to the younger and inexperienced. The first mean- 
ing of the word is chastisement; then discipline, which is 
administered in this way ; and finally (as here) instruction 
as the result ; for such a meaning is appropriate here, since 
it is descriptive of the nature of the good to be obtained, and 
of the method of obtaining it. The implication is, that the 
young are here designated as one class, or rather as the 
leading class, to be taught ; and this corresponds well with 
v. 4. Specially in chaps, i — ix. are the young addressed. 

That one may understand, is a secondary meaning of 'pitfi , 
which originally designates the idea of separating, distin- 
guishing ; and from this comes the secondary meaning, viz. 
to gain accurate knowledge. The Hiphil form of the verb 
12* 



138 



Part I—Chap. I. 3. 



seems to indicate the necessity of translating thus : to cause 
one to understand. But the Hiph. of "pa often has a Kal 
sense, (see Lex. Hiph. 2) ; and moreover n?^T , in the first 
clause, is in Kal, and the parallelism, therefore, demands the 
Kal sense of *pSii , if feasible, as in fact it is. — I have ren- 
dered twa by intelligent, putting the concrete, i. e. intelligent 
person, for the abstract intelligence. That I have given the 
meaning truly is plain from the fact, that words must be 
spoken or written by persons, and not by an abstraction. 
Such cases of abstract for concrete, occur too often to need 
any argument for defence, or even for explanation ; see under 
§ 104. 2. e. g. By the intelligent, is here meant persons of 
superior capacity and education, to understand whose writings, 
a good degree of intelligence in the reader is necessary. 
The design of the book before us is to assist in the acquisition 
of such intelligence. 

(3) That one may receive the instruction of discreetness, righteous- 
ness and justice, and uprightness. 

baton , a noun of Inf. Hiph. form, (Ewald, Gramm. 
§ 156. c.) ; meaning considerate and discreet counsel or 
action. What youth most of all need, is discretion or 
sobriety ; for they are prone to act with much ardor and 
precipitation. — Righteousness and justice and uprightness 
are so near to each other in respect to meaning, that they 
may be regarded as particulars of the same genus. The 
design in accumulating words of a meaning so kindred, is 
not to urge any nice distinctions between these virtues 
which are to be made by the mind of the reader, but simply 
to bring before him the whole domain (so to speak) of 
moral propriety and fitness. Strictly considered, means 
that which is right = righteousness ; and then it branches off 
into what is lawful, what is due, probity, integrity ; and 
finally, it designates the result of these, viz., liberation, salus, 
and also happiness or prosperity in general — ttStiSa has its 



Part I — Chap. I. 4. 



139 



basis in the idea of judgment, viz., of a court, and then (by 
consequence) it comes to mean law, or supreme authority. 
It naturally, in this way, designates statute, ordinance, decree ; 
and finally, whatever is in accordance with these =just, 
lawful. In accordance with the last meaning, I have trans- 
lated it by justice. This does not mean simply justice in 
our dealings between man and man-; for it designates a 
wider sense of jus, justum, legitimum. — Q'-'-n^, uprightness, 
the plur. form being used, as in many other cases, to denote 
the abstract noun, § 106. 2. a. The three nouns comprise 
whatever is right and proper, conformed to law, and agreeable 
to integrity. They cover the whole ground of moral action, 
both as it regards the mutual rights of men, and also in 
regard to probity of mind. These virtues lie at the basis 
of a great portion of the book of Proverbs. Some of the 
commentators (Ewald, de Wette, et al.) join the three last 
nouns of the verse with bstit} (in the Gen.), and make all 
the four nouns to be Genitives dependent on 'i&sra, and 
then translate thus : the instruction of discreetness, of righte- 
ousness, etc. But evidently, the verse has two (and but two) 
parallel members, and the last three nouns are therefore in 
the Ace, being governed by ringb implied in the sense of 
acquiring, and mentally transferred from the beginning 
of the verse. The first clause the Sept. translates thus : 
de^cca-d'at re ozoocpag koycov, vorjaat rs dixaioavvrjv, in 
which they make tetoft an Inf. verb, and separate it from 
its proper connection. Of course, they must have read 
^ovo , i. e. they took the noun to be of the abs. form, and not 
of the construct, as our text makes it. Not so the Chald., 
Vulg., and Syriac, which all take the word in question as 
a verbal noun. 

(4) That they may impart sagacity to the simple ; to the young, 
knowledge and reflection. 

nrfj, Inf. of -janf with \, § 65. 2. n. 3. I take it to be 



140 Part I— Chap. I. 5. 

coordinate with mih in v. 2, and to stand connected with 

T ' 

ibusa of v. 1 ; and thus we have : Proverbs ... in order to 
know, etc. ... in order to impart or that they may impart, etc. 
— t^nste , the simple, lit. to those who are open (root JiriQ to 
open ), i. e. open to every kind of impression from without, 
and so, not being wary (p*H$>) 9 they are easily misled. It is 
also written D^nB in 23 : 3, and EPns in 1: 22, the sing, being 
^ns ; as to the a in the first form, in the place of the i radi- 
cal, see § 91. vi. 6. — ft?*??? cunning, either in the good or 
bad sense of the word. In Gen. 3 : 1, the serpent is called 
EMIS , subtle. In our text, the cunning is taken in the sense 
of sagacity, i. e. a shrewdness which leads to the apprehen- 
sion of approaching dangers and temptations, and suggests 
the means of escaping them. This is what the d^nQ have 
not. — To this latter word 155 of the second clause corre- 
sponds. It means a youngling, one who of course has not 
yet come to the period of wyf . — rista comes from a root 
(E?3t) which means literally to bind or tie together ; then 
figuratively, to meditate, e. g. a plot or plan. In the first 
case, viz., the meaning of plot, it is taken in malam partem ; 
and more usually the noun trniv means wicked device, mis- 
chievous plot But a plan may be either for good or bad ; 
and it is in the first of these senses, that iiwo is here used. 
I have translated by reflection, because I can find no word 
that comes nearer to designate the thing here intended ; for 
reflection indicates a continued meditation on a subject, and 
carries with it the idea of sober and wary determination. 
This is just what the youngling needs. Knowledge and 
reflection are important ends to be brought about by reading 
the book before us. Sept., very well : evvoia. 

(5) Let the wise man listen, and he will add to his learning, and 
the intelligent one will acquire skill in management. 

The Imperf. form, sati*; is optative or voluntative here, 
§ 125. 3. b. — S^tiJ, is to be taken as a proper or ordinary 



Paut I — Chap. I. 6. 



141 



Fut. here, for the Vau is not consecutive, (comp. 48. b. 2), 
and the accent is thrown on the penult merely because the 
ultimate is followed by a tone-syllable in the next word. 
Of course the t]0 — of the ordinary form, by losing the 
accent becomes tjO — , § 29. 3. b. — ttpi is what one receives, 
viz., from a teacher, and so means doctrine, learning, knowl- 
edge, root rtJDi to take or receive. — "jins , Niph. Part, adjective, 
intelligent, i. e. one endowed with the power of discrimina- 
tion, from "pa to discriminate. — nftanjn, (2 for to), from bnrr 
rope, especially the anchor-rope or the helm-rope ; so that 
guidance, management, is a derived or secondary sense ; and 
the shade of the idea is expressed in the version. It is the 
plur. of abstraction, § 106. 2. a. Sentiment: 6 Even wise 
men may increase their knowledge and their skill, as to 
controlling various matters, by the reading of the Proverbs' 

(6) So that he may understand a proverb, and a dark saying, — the 
words of the wise, and their enigmas. 

is not a continuance or resumption of the Infinitives 
in vs. 2 — 4, but it connects with the preceding verse, in the 
way of exhibiting the consequences of attending to the 
Proverbs. The reader of this book may be able, by due 
attention, not only to understand a bfcjfc , i. e. figurative or 
parabolic speech, but even such words as constitute a iis^E , 
which word the Seventy have well translated by axorsivbg 
loyog, i. e. a dark saying, one that needs interpretation, 
(from the Hiph. "pitt, to interpret). — Not only so, but he 
may also come to understand even the enigmatical words of 
the wise. %Xim comes from "rtfi , which in Arabic means to 

T • ' 

make knots. A knotty saying (our usage admits this expres- 
sion) is one that is difficult of solution or interpretation ; a 
saying that is pointed and shrewd, but wrapped in such an 
envelop as demands a discriminating intellect to develop 
and understand it. In both clauses I take the 1 to be that 
of mere accession, § 152. B. 2. The noun following the l 



142 



Part I— Chap. I. 7. 



qualifies the preceding noun, by characterizing specifically 
the nature of its meaning. Sentiment : 6 The study of the 
Proverbs will render a wise man more capable of under- 
standing the apparently obscure, or singular, or pointed 
sayings of the wise. 5 

(7) The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; wisdom 
and instruction fools despise. 

As to sentiment, comp. 9 : 10. Ps. Ill: 10. Sir. 1: 16, 25. 
The first Arabic proverb, in the collection of one hundred 
proverbs by Erpenius (in his Arab. Gramm.) runs thus: 
" The beginning of wisdom is the fear of God." The pre- 
ceding verses (2 — 6) having shown the design of the book, 
the introduction is now concluded by v. 7, which shows what 
temper of mind must be possessed by him, who means to be 
profited through the reading of the Proverbs. — Fear of 
God means : Paying him reverential awe ; it does not desig- 
nate terror* The verse declares, that not even a beginning of 
true knowledge can be made, without the reverence in ques- 
tion ; much less then can a full knowledge be gained with- 
out it. It is God who gives wisdom and knowledge ; as is 
declared in 2 : 6 below. Wisdom and reverence for God 
are inseparably linked together, and this is the constant doc- 
trine of the Old Testament. That wisdom (so called), which 
is without the fear of God, is no wisdom ; for he who has no 
knowledge of God, cannot be wise, but is a fool, comp. Job 
5 : 3. Strikingly does the verse before us accord in spirit 
with the words of the Saviour: "If any man will do his 
will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God," 
John 7: 17. 

Wisdom and instruction fools despise, i. e. none but fools 
will despise such wisdom and instruction as are here prof- 
fered. All who fear God will avoid such a course. The 
fool, then, as here characterized, is one who is chargeable 
with impiety. — d^ltf. comes from by* to be foolish, the root 
having a 1 movable. 



Part I — Chap. I. 8. 



143 



[Thus ends the compiler's introduction to the book of Proverbs. 
It exhibits, (1) The title. (2) The design of the work, vs. 2, 3. 
(3) The persons are specified for whom it is designed, and the benefit 
pointed out which they may receive, vs. 4 — 6. (4) The subjective 
qualification of the reader, in order to be profited, is then explicitly 
disclosed. Every verse consists of two parts — parallelisms; and 
nearly all of these contain three words. Once, in v. 5, we have four 
words ; and twice, in v. 7. It is evident, that this rigid adherence to 
even measure has occasioned several ellipses of verbs, as has been 
hinted above, but these are not such as to obscure the sense.] 

Chap. L 8— IX. 18. 

Admonition to love wisdom in all circumstances and, condi- 
tions^ to strive for the acquisition of it, and to shun everything 
which is opposed to it. 

As to the characteristics of this part of the book of Prov- 
erbs, both in respect to style and sentiment, the reader is 
referred to the discussion concerning them in the critical 
Introduction. 

Chap. I. 8—33. 

[This may be separatedinto three divisions ; (1 ) vs. 8, 9. (2) Ys. 10 — 19. 
(3) Ys. 20 — 33. The first two verses here exhibit the relation of the 
person addressed to his monitor, and make an earnest appeal to him, 
urging him readily to receive the proffered instruction. To induce 
him so to do, it holds forth the beautiful ornaments of character, 
which such a readiness will confer upon him.] 

(8) Hear, my son, the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the 
teaching of thy mother. 

My son is the usual address of a teacher to a learner, and 
is common in Persia and Arabia, as well as in Palestine. 
The learner is usually a young person ; but the term son, in 
this case, is merely indicative of affection, and not of descent. 
In other words, the writer assumes the attitude of a parent 
addressing his children. — fitter, Imperf. Kal, second pers. of 



144 



Part I— Chap. L 9. 



tiw . designates a negative, in a hortative or imperative 
clause. — rriitn doctrine, teaching, which is the original sense 
of the word, since it comes from rrr? , to instruct. It passes 
over, very naturally, to the sense of law, precept. But in 
Prov. it is often used as above ; e. g. 3 : 1. 4:2. 7: 2. 28 : 
7, 9. 29 : 18, al. Specially does it designate parental in- 
struction, which has in it something of the nature of law. 

(9) For a graceful wreath shall they be to thy head, and a collar to 
thy neck. 

The moral beauty which will become conspicuous by fol- 
lowing the advice given in the preceding verse, is here 
symbolized by objects of conspicuous adornment to the per- 
son. — Graceful wreath, means a beautiful one, for $rt , like 
the Greek x^Q l ^y means both beauty and grace or favor. 
The second noun supplies the place of an adjective, § 104. 1. 
— drt , are they, § 119. 2. The simple meaning is, that 6 obe- 
dience to parental precepts will be as a beautiful diadem on 
the head of him who yields it.' — Collar to thy neck, comp. 
Dan. 5 : 29, which relates that Belshazzar, in order to honor 
Daniel, commanded " a chain of gold to be put around his 
neck." The insignia of office and honor were usually dis- 
played by some conspicuous ornament on the neck. — Q^PJ? 
is plur. probably because the chain or collar consisted of 
many composite parts ; but we may express the idea sub- 
stantially by the singular — collar — which is preferable in 
our language to the plural form. The meaning of the whole 
is plain : 6 Obedience to paternal precepts will be to thy 
character and reputation, what diadems and necklaces of 
honor are to the person.' In other words? : It will render 
thee conspicuous and admired for thy virtues. 

Second division; vs. 10 — 19. 

[This contains an earnest dissuasive from associating with those, 
who seek for gain in robbery and murder. The warning thus placed 



Part I—Chap. I. 10, 11. 



145 



at the head of all others, betokens a state of society much like that 
which now exists in Italy. It would seem that Banditti were not only 
frequent, but that the attractions which such a mode of life offered to 
young, idle, and profligate persons, were great and dangerous. The 
civil police must of course have been unskilful or inefficient. Such a 
mode of life was not only utter ruin to character, but it was fraught 
with the most imminent danger of destruction. Those who lived in 
this way, as it would seem, employed all the arts of persuasion to 
entice the young to join their corps, and thus to strengthen them in 
their warfare against the peaceful possessors of property. They 
promised them abundance of shining gold and houses filled with 
spoil, vs. 10 — 14. The youth is cautioned to keep himself far from 
them, and is assured that their wicked course will speedily end in a 
dreadful doom.] 

(10) My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not. 

iins? , Imperf. Piel of nna . — for asam , from asa = 
innsj , to consent, being a weaker form of the common verb as 
last given. The omission of K in writing, when it quiesces, 
is too common to need particular illustration, § 8. 4. The 
Piel form of sifcSP designates repeated attempts at persuasion, 
continued efforts to persuade. 

(11 ) If they shall say : Come now with us, let us lay wait for blood, 
let us lurk for him who in vain is innocent. 

The actions of banditti are here accurately described. 
They lie in wait, in order to destroy the unsuspecting. They 
lurk, so as to cause no alarm to him, who, confiding in his inno- 
cence or harmlessness, goes forth in security. But his inno- 
cence is fcsri fruitless, or in vain. His imagined security 
exposes him the more to the assassins, inasmuch as he goes 
unarmed. That dsn qualifies or modifies ipj , is plain from 
its position. The meaning is, that even innocence is fruitless, 
as to exempting from the attack of such assassins ; comp. 
Ps. 35: 19. 69 : 5. Lam. 3 : 52. At the same time, this 
greatly aggravates the crime of the robbers. The sing. 
is generic, comprehending that class of persons. The sequel 

13 



146 



Part I— Chap. I. 12, 13. 



shows this, where they are spoken of in the plural number, 
— h3^> , i. e. the Imper. T\?. (root with n T paragogic 
or hortative, § 48. 3. The like is the case with the other 
two verbs, only that they are Imperf. first pers. plur., which 
tense often follows the Imp. mode. 

(12) Let us swallow them up alive, like the under-world; even 
those in full strength shall be as those who go down to the pit. 

Sivallow them (plur. pron.) up, means to devour in a sud- 
den and fearful manner. — Like the under-world, i. e. Sheol, 
Hades , which swallows up the race of man. — Alive, d^H , 
the same in Ps. 55 : 16. 124 : 3. Usually, the grave devours 
or swallows up only the dead ; but the depredators, in this 
case, propose to do to the living, what the grave does to the 
dead in consuming them, yet not literally, but figuratively. 
The idea is that of sudden and unexpected destruction in 
the midst of life, and in the full state of health, as the subse- 
quent dWEfr plainly indicates. Gesenius has mistaken the 
meaning of this word here. He gives incolumis, salvus, as 
the sense. But plainly the meaning is kindred to and con- 
nected with d^H . The two words indicate life and good 
health. Comp. as to swallowing up, Num. 16 : 30, 31. Senti- 
ment : 6 Let us destroy those suddenly and unexpectedly, 
who are not only among the living, but in sound health. 
This shall be no protection to them. We can as easily 
devour them as the grave devours the unresisting dead.' — 
, pit-descenders, i. e. the buried dead. Comp. for 
this phrase, Ps. 88 : 5. Ezek. 26 : 20. 31: 14. The essence 
of the comparison lies in this, viz. that living persons, who 
are of sound health, may be as easily and surely devoured, 
as the grave devours dead ones. No resistance or danger 
from them need be anticipated. 

(13) All precious wealth shall we find; our houses shall we fill 
with spoil. 

This verse begins the persuasive part of the address to the 



Pakt I— Chap. I. 14—17. 



147 



youth. The hortative is dropped here, as the form of the 
verb (without ft- paragogic) indicates, and the plunderers 
venture to predict the consequence of their foray. — 
denotes what is precious or rare, referring probably to jewels, 
and the like. — OTna , irreg. plur. of , with sufF. — hh'ti , a 
second Ace, governed by the verb of filling, § 135. 3. b. 
§ 136. 1. 

(14) Thy lot shalt thou cast in the midst of us ; one purse shall be 
for us all. 

In other words : 6 Thou shalt be a partner with us, and 
entitled to thy full proportion of the spoil.' One and the 
same purse shall be for all, repeats the same idea in a dif- 
ferent form, viz. < We will have one common purse.' Thus 
far the exhortation of the plunderers. The teacher's advice 
comes next. 

(15) My son, go not in the way with them; keep back tlry foot 
from their paths. 

This is in direct opposition to the counsel of the plun- 
derers, and is as much as to say : 6 Do not associate with 
them, but refrain from all intercourse.' — d Sja , compounded 
of c~ suff. pron., and in a preposition = with. 

(16) For their feet run to evil ; and they hasten to shed blood. 

In other words : ' They are eager to do evil, and hasten 
swiftly to scenes of bloodshed.' — TjSdb, with short 6 in the 
final syllable, because of the Maqqeph which follows. 

(17) Surely in vain is the net spread in the sight of any bird. 

13 cannot be causal here, for this verse assigns no reason 
or ground of the preceding one. This particle not unfre- 
quently has an intensive meaning, (like the Latin imo, or 
the German ya, truly, indeed), in the beginning of a sentence ; 
e. g. Is. 28:28. 8:23. 32:13. Ps. 77:12. 71:23. Ex. 
22 : 22. Job 8 : 6 ; see Ewaid's Gramm. § 320. K, Ges. Lex. 
% , 5. c, who, however, has given but a narrow view of this 



148 



Part I— Chap. I. 18, 19. 



not unfrequent usage. The writer means to say: 'It Is 
indeed true that the net, etc.'— rrnift? , Part, of Pual, from 
fTjt . The 1 is merely a fulcrum for the vowel Hholem, 
which is substituted for the regular Qibbutz, because the 
Dagh. is excluded from the *n . — )n£hii , with the article, an 
appropriate kind of net being meant. — 5*52 isj ? lit. pos- 
sessor of a wing, i. e. winged creature = bird ; see Lex. 
In other words : ' Birds which see the net spread for them 
fly away, as we well know, and escape.' The comparison 
intended is completed by the next verse. 

(18) But these lie in wait for their own blood; they lurk for their 
own lives. 

The 1 is here adversative, § 152. B. b. — For their own 
Mood . . .for their own lives, not to protect and save them, 
but they act as if they were bent upon destroying them. 
They use their cunning and their efforts in the like way, as 
if they were laboring to bring themselves into ruin. The 
implication is, that while they spread the net for others, they, 
like the birds, will take cognizance thereof and escape. But 
not merely this ; those who spread the net will be resisted 
and attacked, and will lose their own lifeblood. Their 
confident boast of easy conquest will not be realized. Instead 
of spoiling others, they will be despoiled ; for others will 
have their eyes open to see the net, and thus they will escape 
it, and moreover inflict vengeance on those who laid it. The 
but at the beginning of the verse, seems to indicate that the 
plunderers are less wary than the birds, and rush on to a 
destruction which might easily be avoided, if they would but 
open their eyes to see its indications. 

(19) Such are the ways of every one greedy of plunder; it taketh 
away the life of its master. 

Such is the conclusion of this second division, viz., vs. 10 — 
19. — SSSi ?2Sa 3 lit. plundering plunder, is a usual Hebraism 
to make out a strong expression. The shade of meaning is 



Part 1— Chap. I. 20. 



149 



truly given in the version. — V^sja, plur. form with suff.,but 
with the meaning of the singular ; see Lex. — in pause, 
Imperf. of ttpb , in the sense of taking aivay ; see Lex. b. 

Such is the solemn warning of paternal admonition, ad- 
dressed to all the young who are tempted to embark in un- 
lawful doings for the sake of gain. It escapes them after 
all, and they, by their wicked course, bring on themselves 
destruction. 

Third Division, vs. 20 — 33. 

[In the preceding paragraph, the invitations and allurements of 
wicked depredators addressed to youth are presented. The fatal 
consequences of listening to them are also brought to view. The 
section now before us presents a call or invitation of a character 
entirely opposite. Heavenly wisdom, (here personified in the oriental 
manner), utters a louder, more distinct, and more earnest call, urging 
upon the young the fear of God. The importance and necessity of 
this are proclaimed in all conspicuous places, where the people throng, 
— in the streets and bustling market-places, at the openings of the 
gates, and throughout the city. She rebukes men for loving and 
cleaving to folly and hating knowledge, and exhorts them to listen to 
her admonitions, vs. 20 — 23. She presents the consequences of not 
listening to them, and of rejecting them ; and declares, that at a future 
period she will remain unmoved by their outcries, when calamities 
invade them, vs. 24 — 27. Finally, when their sorrows become insup- 
portable, she predicts that they will earnestly call upon her to interpose ; 
but she assures them that she will remain quiet and inactive, as they 
did, when she called unto them. Their hatred of true knowledge and 
their impious rejection of all admonition, suffice to justify the course 
which she will take, vs. 28 — 31. From this particular view of their 
actions and their consequent doom, the writer deduces an important 
general sentiment, viz. that the aversion of fools to wisdom, and their 
spiritual sloth, must at last bring about their utter ruin ; while those, 
who timely hearken to admonition, shall dwell in safety and quietude, 
without any fear of evil, vs. 32, 33.] 

(20) Wisdom crieth aloud without 5 in the broad streets she utter- 
eth her voice. 

ni^n, of the plur. form, but sing, in meaning. The 
13*, 



150 



Part I— Chap. I. 21. 



ground of this is, either that the plur. is a favorite form for 
abstract nouns, or else (as usual) the plural form denotes 
intensity; see the same in 9 : 1. So Hitzig, and so Ewald 
(Gramm. edit. 5. § 165. c), both inclining to the first solution. 
Hence JijHtj , as Ewald supposes, is prob. sing, (see filnsa in 
9:1), the fern, ending rti — being added to distinguish the 
third pers. fern, from the second masc. ; see the like in 8 : 3. 
Judg. 5 : 26. Ex. 1: 10. Is. 27: 11. 28 : 3. Job 17: 16; see 
Ew. Gramm. § 191. c, who fully notices this peculiarity. If 
any one prefers the plur. of the verb here, in accordance with 
the form of the noun, he is at liberty to do so, although this 
principle does not apply to most of the parallel cases which 
are referred to, where the verb is plainly singular. — rvidlrHS , 
lit. in the wide places, but the word commonly designates the 
streets, which are usually wide openings. — , gives out, 
utters, where the verb is third fern. sing. ; as is also the suff. 
pron. in rfjip ; and these sing, forms render probable the 
conclusion above made respecting the sing, of rtpfi . 

(21) At the head of the bustling places she makes proclamation, 
in the openings of the gates ; in the city, she utters her words. 

nfafch , plur. fern. Part, of Kal, from trfin , and meaning 
noisy places, i. e. places where the busy and bustling throng 
are met together, probably = market-places. — Openings of 
the gates, the place where tribunals were held, and consul- 
tations carried on, because of the broad space around the 
opening. The punctators, by a pause-accent, have joined 
this clause with the last part of the verse, since they have 
separated the first cttyog at K^pPi > tne pause-accent ought 
to stand on d-nsttS . The word -i^a is not to be joined with 
this as an accession to it, for then it would have a 1 before it. 
But it needs no Vav if we translate as above. In the open- 
ings of the gates and in the city are two different phrases ; 
but the latter is coordinate with the former, and is designed 
to be an enlargement of it. All the places of usual con- 



Part I— Chap. I. 22. 



151 



course are first mentioned, and then comes the generic word, 
comprising both these and all others not yet mentioned, viz., 
*Wja . It would seem from the manifold and wide-spread 
action here described, that under the appellation of ivisdom 
are here comprised all the wise men and teachers and proph- 
ets, who, in various ways and in different places, taught and 
proclaimed to men their duty. 

(22) How long, ye simple, will ye love simplicity, and scorners 
delight themselves in scorning, and fools hate knowledge % 

d^rte , for the form, see under v. 4 above. — tonkin , Imperf. 
Piel, with Tseri under a , because the following Gutt. (fi) 
excludes the Daghesh. — As to ^na , simplicity is the first 
meaning of this root, which is indeed an abstract meaning, 
but then such abstracts are often employed as concretes; 
e. g. folly for fools, simplicity for simple persons, and the like. 
— d^b , plur. Part, of y& , like d^rra from hta . — dft| nan , 
delight themselves, seems to present a Dat. commodi in diii . 
But we may also translate, desire for themselves, with a Dat. 
of the person for whom. — pj£> is here an abstract noun, from 
y*b , although this ending more usually is concrete, § 85. 2. 4. 
In the second clause, is in the Perf, which is somewhat 
unusual in such a case of habitual action. The other two 
clauses present the Imperfect, as usual in such cases. There 
are, however, many cases of designating past action which 
still continues and will continue, where the Perf. is employed ; 
for this tense is used to designate general truths, which have 
by experience already been established and definitely settled ; 
e. g. comp. Ps, 10: 3. 33 : 13, seq. 39 : 12. 84: 4. Prov. 11: 
2, 8. 22 : 12, etc. 1 Sam. 2 : 3—5. Ewald has most fully 
treated of this, in § 135. b. In several of the examples above 
cited, the Perf. and Imperf. precede and follow each other, 
in the same train of narration ; which shows that, by usage, 
they often occupy nearly the same ground. Still, we may say 
in general, that the Imperf. looks more to what is going on 

j i 



152 



Part I— Chap. I. 23, 24. 



and will go on, but the Perf. more to what has past and still 
continues. — The knowledge which is hated, is that knowledge 
which is equivalent to wisdom, viz., the knowledge of what 
is good and true and pious. 

(23) Turn ye at my reproof; behold! I will pour out my spirit 
upon you, I will make you to know my words. 

siatfta, Imperf. for Imper. hortative, § 125. 3. c. The f 
which follows, points out the* direction toward which they 
are to turn, quasi : turn ye toward my reproof, i. e. put your- 
selves in such a posture, as to notice it and take warning ; 
or h may mean here on account of, because of, Lex A. 6. — 
h3^atf (Hiph. of 955)1 lit. I will cause to gush forth my spirit 
unto you, or upon you. — My spirit, i. e. my animating and 
energizing influence. This influence is here plainly of a 
moral and sanctifying nature; and those who hearken to 
wisdom will have experience of it. The transition from the 
primitive meaning of (wind) is easy and natural. The 
wind is an invisible and mysterious, yet powerful agent. 
Even so the divine tfift is the invisible and yet powerful 
agent, in moving and quickening the minds of men to obe- 
dience. — / will make you to know ; the pronoun d^fta* is in 
the Acc. and is governed by the verb (the Hiph. of with 
in- paragogic) ; which also governs ^Sto a second Acc, § 136. 
1. The is merely the Acc. partic. — All here promised 
will follow from turning, i. e. from true repentance and the 
forsaking of sin. But the next verse shows the great con- 
tumacy of those who will not hearken, and also the earnest- 
ness with which they have been admonished and warned. 

(24) Because I have called, and ye have refused, I have stretched 
forth my hand, and no one hath listened 5 

Our pres. tense might be employed in rendering all the 
verbs here, since the Perfect often designates enduring 
action, just as our present tense also does. But, although 
adopted by Bertheau (Comm.), I prefer the Perfect; for 



Part I— Chap. I. 25—27. 



153 



the speaker seems to take his stand at the close of proba- 
tion, when final trial and retribution are about to ensue. i~ 
have called is therefore appropriate. — Called, i. e. proclaimed 
the truth, and given you repeated invitations to listen to it. 
— Stretching forth the hand, is the gesture of one earnestly 
beseeching. — Listened, viz. to my call. 

(25) But ye have rejected all my counsel, and have not desired my 
reproof. 

^snsrn , = the Praeter sense, by reason of the 1 consecu- 
tive ; which is not frequent in such a book as the present, 
but is common in narrations. However, the discourse as- 
sumes here somewhat of the form of narration. 

(26) Even I will laugh at your calamity, and mock when your fear 
cometh. 

Even L, not I also, for who are the others that laugh and 
mock ? Even 1, is emphatic, — I, who have warned you so 
often, so tenderly, and so earnestly, — even I, shall henceforth 
treat you as enemies, who deserve contempt. — aha , Inf. 
const, before a noun which is its subject. Lit. in the coming 
of your fear, i. e. of that which was your fear, or which you 
feared. The intensity of the tropical language here makes 
the expression exceedingly strong. Laughing at and mock- 
ing, are expressions of the highest and most contemptuous 
indignation. Comp. Ps. 2 : 5, where, as applicable to God> 
this same bold language is employed. 

(27) "When your fear cometh as a destructive tempest, and your 
calamity advances as a sweeping whirlwind, when distress and 
anguish come upon you. 

The word fiitfttS , in the text, if retained, should be pointed 
thus: matti; The Masorites, however, have adjusted the 
vowels to the marginal reading Tv£d ; unnecessarily, for the 
text-form is normal, and probably legitimate. This verse 
exhibits one of the usages, in respect to the Inf. construct, 



154 



Part I— Chap. I. 28. 



which deserves special notice, viz., the fact that a word 
qualifying the action of the verb, or designating the object 
of its action, may be placed between the Inf. const, and the 
noun which is its proper subject. Thus to the first belong 
rrtSttSS) and iiSiiM ,both placed between the Inf. and its subject, 
and qualifying the action of the verb ; to the latter belongs 
ttfy&5, designating the object of the verb's action. — «tn$2j 
Imp erf., is a change of construction ; but this tense fre- 
quently is a continuative of the Inf. mode ; and this usage 
serves the purpose of variety. — The imagery employed 
here is vivid and awful. It is partly obscured in our com- 
mon version. Umbreit translates fi i$i!3 and ttSto, by Don- 
nerwetter and Sturmwind, which come near the force of the 
original words. 

(28) Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they 
shall earnestly seek me, but they shall not find me. 

Here, in the version, shall implies confident prediction, 
will both predicts and expresses determination. In all three 
of the plur. verbs, the *i final of the normal forms is omitted, 
and it is written in each case by a vicarious Qibbuts (§ 9. 1. 
&.), — a very common usage in writing ; (read u~n e ni*) ; see 
also § 47. 3. n. 4. This ending (3 T ) differs somewhat in 
development from the Nun epenthetic, as described in § 57. 
4; for that takes the vowels (_) and (J before it, and is 
usually written by a Daghesh. The effect, however, of 
both seems to be nearly the same, see Note in § 57. 4. This 
development of the Imperf. with 5 suff., as here, is confined 
to poetry, and is frequent in this book ; see Note, ib. — The 
verb ^in^ means to burst or break forth ; and so ^rp_ comes 
to mean morning. So we say, break of day ; and the like 
did the Hebrews. But while the idea of early does not 
belong to the verb of itself, still, the nature of the action 
designated implies intensity, earnestness. I have so trans- 
lated. The verb comes to designate seeking earnestly, as its 



Part I— Chap. I. 29—31. 



155 



secondary sense, by reason of the impetuosity usually ex- 
hibited by those who are anxious seekers. The Piel form 
in the text gives additional intensity to the meaning. — 
Sentiment : * When danger is imminent and punishment has 
begun, then, sinners who have refused to listen unto warn- 
ings, and have despised admonition until their probation has 
ended, will seek anxiously, but in vain, for deliverance from 
further punishment. 5 

(29) Because they have hated knowledge, and have not chosen the 
fear of God. 

The word nrtft , because, is introductory to the four follow- 
ing clauses, each and all of which belong to the protasis of 
a long sentence ; the apodosis follows, being introduced by 1 
apodotic in v. 31. The arrangement stands thus: 'Because 
they have done so and so . . . therefore they shall be pun- 
ished so and so.' — shfiS (n in Pause) might be translated : 
delighted in or desired. But the word choose is better here, 
because it indicates the giving of preference to one thing 
over another. They did not give preference to piety over 
disobedience. 

(30) They desired not my counsel; they despised all my reproof. 

The preceding verse gives the positive part of their wick- 
edness ; this, the negative one, i. e. they refused counsel, 
they despised reproof. 

(31) Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, they 
shall be satiated with their own counsels. 

The 1 here, at the beginning, marks the commencement 
of the apodosis, and consequently may be rendered therefore. 
— Their way, means their conduct. — Their counsels (root 
yy*) means here devices or plans. The ft stands for ift, 
the quiescent being omitted, as oftentimes, in writing, — Our 
version translates wato? by filled. The Heb. verb is of a 



156 



Part I— Chap. 1. 32, 33. 



stronger signification ; which i3 given in the version above. 
I should prefer a Saxon word to the Latin derivate satiated ; 
but where is it to be found? 

Such is the fearful doom of the contumacious opposers 
of heavenly wisdom. The two following verses develop the 
general ground or principle, on which this sentence is 
founded. 

(32) Surely, the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and 
the slothful quietude of fools shall destroy them. 

Turning away, viz., from proffered admonition. — * t?b\Q , 
quietude, here designates unfeeling apathy under all remon- 
strances and exhortations to rouse up to dutiful action. 
Amid all these the simple remain unmoved and indifferent. 
Quietude cannot be meant here, in the way of peaceful 
enjoyment. 

(33) But he who hearkeneth [to me shall dwell in confidence ; he 
shall be tranquil, without fear of evil. 

Lastly comes, to crown all, the promises of reward to the 
obedient. The second clause explains the first. Dwelling 
fitsin, in confidence, (Acc. of manner), means, that' he will 
have no reason to apprehend evil, and therefore will not 
anticipate it. — 55&Uh (made Fut. by )) is the Filel form of 
"jKTtt . — I take the ft in 'linaft to mean without, Lat. sine ; so 
in Job 11: 15. 21: 9. Gen. 27: 39. Is. 14: 19. Jer. 48: 45. 
Like has in the preceding clause, it denotes the manner of 
the tranquillity. Our version — quiet from fear — can hardly 
afford a tolerable meaning. We say free from fear, delivered 
from fear, and the like ; but quiet from fear would seem to 
mean : quiet through or by reason of fear ; which is far from 
the true idea. The accents divide, as in the version above. 
The last two words need no ) before them, because they 
merely qualify the verb. 



Part I— Chap. II. 1—22. 157 



Chap. II. 1—22. 

Exhortation to seek after wisdom; many and important 
benefits will ensue from finding it. 

[Continued, constant, and earnest seeking after wisdom will lead to 
the fear and the knowledge of God, vs. 1 — 5. Jehovah will impart wis- 
dom to such seekers, and sound discretion ; he will protect them and keep 
them in the right path, vs. 6 — 8. Consequently, the sincere seeker will 
be led to understand the good and the true ; and such knowledge shall 
give pleasure to his soul, and discretion shall preserve him, vs. 9 — II. 
These will save him from the evil and perverse man, who forsakes 
uprightness and walks in darkness 5 who rejoices in evil doing and 
perverseness ; whose ways are crooked and perverted, vs. 12 — 15. He 
shall be delivered from the strange woman who flatters ; who forsakes 
the guide of her youth, and forgets the covenant of her God : whose 
house goes down to death, and her paths to the land of ghosts ; and 
all who go in unto her, return no more to the paths of the living, vs. 
16 — 19. We must watchfully observe and walk in the paths of the 
good ; for the upright shall have a safe and permanent habitation in 
the land, while wicked traitors shall be cut off from it, vs. 20 — 22. 

Properly speaking, this whole chapter has not only one theme, but 
it virtually consists of only one prolonged and composite sentence. 
There is nowhere any sign of the commencement of a new theme or 
sentence ; nor any palpable marks of separate strophes. Yet the 
structure, in another respect, is somewhat artistic. Analysis will 
show that there is a peculiar arrangement. If we divide the chapter 
into two parts, each has in it a series of connected verses of four, 
four, and three, making eleven verses in each part. The first four 
verses in the chapter constitute a protasis ; the second four, an apodo- 
sis ; and then the three which follow (vs. 9 — 11), are a second apodosis ; 
both the apodoses commence alike with "p^ij T5J • In the second part 
of the chapter (vs. 12 — 22), which describes the divine protection, the 
two first groups of four begin each with ^b^£i-rb , and the last group 
of three begins with )Wb , which is equivalent to the b that stands 
before the verb at the head of the two other groups. Besides this 
peculiarity of numerical arrangement and harmony, every verse has 
only two parts or parallelisms, and for the most part, these have the 
same number of words in them, which is usually three. In a few 

14 



158 



Part I-Chap. II. 1—3. 



cases we find jfowr, where the words are short, and two where they are 
long. This shows that some kind of rhythm is aimed at, although 
we cannot successfully decipher it. The whole chapter is, in one 
respect, a monogram by itself; but still, it is here intimately con- 
nected with, and allied to, the main subject. The tenor of the style, 
in this chapter, is like that in the surrounding context.] 

(1) My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and treasure up my 
commands with thee ; 

To receive, is the first thing in a sincere disciple. To 
treasure up or carefully keep, designates another and higher 
degree of readiness to obey, inasmuch as it shows the value 
put upon the instructions. This is the beginning of the 
protasis, which is continued, by coordinate conditional 
clauses, throughout the three following verses. 

(2) So as to make thine ear attentive to wisdom, and incline thine 
heart to understanding. 

*jtb< means to erect (or prick up, as we say) the 

ear, i. e. to put it in a listening attitude. So the Germans : 
Die Ohren spitzen. When the ear of any animal is flexible, 
it is erected in listening, in order to catch any sound more 
easily. The version above gives the meaning for substance ; 
it would hardly do to translate prick up thine ears, for with 
us this borders on the vulgar style. — The Inf. mode here 
seems alien from the other forms of verbs in the paragraph. 
But it is not unfrequent to substitute this, with a b prefix 
(as here) in the room of an Imperf. tense. It serves to 
vary the construction. — The form i-itpfi (r. SiBi) exhibits the 
normal Imperf. here. Both wisdom and understanding are 
abstracts, and so have the article (as is more usual) before 
them, § 107. 3. c— - Sjsi, from sb==^; hence the Dagh. 
forte. 

(3) Yea, if thou wilt call for discrimination, and utter aloud thy 
voice for understanding. 

The *>3 here is simply an intensive ; see under 1:17 above. 



Part I— Chap. II. 4—6. 



159 



— W*2t, from'i'iS to distinguish, to discriminate, may be well 
rendered as it is above. — Mittti is indeed of the same root, but 
by usage it rather designates the consequences of discrimina- 
tion, i. e. intelligence or knowledge, — )1fie) , to give forth, and 
here ( ah exigentia loci) to utter aloud. — The design of the 
verse is to exhibit earnest request for wisdom; for such 
earnestness of course would be uttered with a loud voice. 

(4) If thou wilt seek for her as silver, and search her out as hidden 
treasures. 

As silver, i. e. as men usually seek for silver, viz., with 
eagerness or earnestness. — nsbssnp) , for JiS- , see p. 289, in 
col. B ; riln (and not tp\ ) because of the Guttural ; the verb 
is in Kal. — As hidden treasures, i. e. (as before) with such 
eagerness as men usually exhibit in search of such treasures. 

The protasis ends here, and now comes the apodosis, 
ushered in by yotj T£< . 

(5) Then shalt thou understand the fear of Jehovah, and acquire 
a knowledge of God. 

rrfrn m&£^ is the usual Hebrew designation of true piety ; 
not fear in the sense of terror, but in that of reverence. 
To find knowledge means to acquire it, to get possession of 
it. Tfie fear of Jehovah is a treasure, Is. 33 : 6 ; it is also 
a refuge in times of danger and trouble, Pro v. 14 : 26, 
comp. also Ps. 19 : 10. 115 : 11. All true wisdom leads to 
a knowledge of God. 

(6) Tor Jehovah will communicate wisdom; from his mouth is 
knowledge and understanding. 

The ground of the preceding assurance is here given. 
The connection is thus : 6 "Wonder not at the promises made, 
for [ys causal] Jehovah gives wisdom, and from his 
mouth cometh knowledge.' fSB means what his mouth 
utters, viz. his words. These are the sources of all true 
wisdom. 



160 



Part I— Chap. II. 7—9. 



(7) He keeps in store help for the upright, — a shield for those who 
walk blamelessly. 

The Kethibh would be normally pointed thus : ; but 
the Qeri bids us read , which is right, because this verb 
is a continuation of in v. 6, which is in the Imperfect. — 
, a shield, is governed by f&S*] mentally carried forward. 
This clause might perhaps be translated thus : a shield is he, 
etc. But if this was the shape of the sentiment designed to 
be communicated by the writer, he would of course have 
said : Wit . — tin is used adverbially. 

(8) He will protect the paths of justice ; he will watch over the way 
of his saints. 

•n'ift is another example of the Inf. in continuation of the 
Imperf. ; see the remarks on the same construction under v. 
2. above. — *fJ^On for TW&ri , as the Qeri informs us. If the 
Kethibh is retained as a singular, then it must be pointed 
im&rj , which, generically taken, would amount to the same 
as the Qeri. The Yodh before such a 1 suffix is sometimes 
omitted in writing. This verse merely enlarges upon and 
enforces the preceding one. 

The three following verses are a second apodosis, begin- 
ning, like the preceding group of four, with 'pijtj . 

(9) Then shalt thou understand right and justice and uprightness, 
— every good path. 

The accents throw dv^E*! into the second clause. But 
if it belongs there, we should expect the *i before it to be 
omitted ; as it in fact is, before the next and final clause. 
The whole verse is, first, an accumulation of the particular 
things to be sought after ; and then follows a generic clause, 
which comprises everything besides which is good. The 
word path or track is here = "rftn , i. e. it signifies manner of 
life, pursuit, and so the meaning is : 6 Every pursuit in which 
good may be found.' 



Part I— Chap. II. 10, 11. 



161 



(10) For wisdom shall come into thy heart, and knowledge shall be 
pleasant to thy soul. 

13 , for, causal. It is implied also before the following 
three clauses, just as in vs. 6, 7. The masc. dSfc 1 ; (in pause) 
is noticeable ; for W'n seems to be unequivocally fern. We 
might translate thus : As to knowledge — there shall be pleas- 
ure to thy soul. This seems to have been the mode of con- 
ception in the mind of the writer, who appears to have used 
the verb in an impersonal way. However, the anomaly in 
question stands not alone ; see the like discrepancy in gender, 
in the Chron. 2 : 48. Gen. 4 : 7. Is. 21: 2. Lev. 2:8. 13 : 14, 
and many more examples in Ges. Lehrgeb. p. 716. The 
strictness of concord is not rigidly carried out in Hebrew, 
either as to gender or number. See Ges. ut supra. 

(11) Reflection shall watch over thee ; understanding shall preserve 
thee. 

Stata is here used in the good sense, indicating repeated 
thinking or reflection on a subject. — The last verb (a verb 
IS) preserves the 3 in the Imperf. ; which is not frequent, 
except Gutturals follow it. Examples, however, are not 
wanting, § 65. 2. n. 1. The in3- has an assimilated D in it, 
and ^ is written (and so not unfrequently) with the parag. 
n- . — As to the course of sentiment, there is first a promise 
of benefit, and then a promise that this shall be rendered 
stable by protection. The same order appears in vs. 6, 7, 
above. 

In the second half of the chapter, the discourse takes a new direction. 
The blessings of wisdom and knowledge, of guidance and protection, 
have already been set before those addressed, and also deliverance 
from evil. But there is one special evil, that has not yet been brought 
particularly into view, in this address. It is that of incontinence. True 
wisdom will be certain to deliver those who possess it, from all defiling 
and destructive intercourse with the unchaste. This constitutes the 
closing theme of warning ; and the writer is so much in earnest, that 
he exhibits more than usual fervor, and more of poetic energy. This 
14* 



162 Part I— Chap. II. 12—14. 



shows that the times were fraught with danger as to the vice in ques- 
tion, and that there was urgent need of guarding the young against it. 
Something like to this is also true, in respect to men of deception and 
falsehood, whom vs. 12 — 15 have brought into view, and have also 
warned the youth to shun them. But when the writer comes to his 
last theme, which has been described above, he shows that he had 
adopted an arrangement in his discourse designedly climactic. His 
greatest energy, therefore, is developed at the close.] 

(12) That they may deliver thee from the way- of evil, from the 
man who speaketh perversely. 

The preceding verse speaks of safe keeping by reflection 
and understanding. Here the object of such a guardianship 
is set forth. So we have a b before the Inf., designed to 
express the idea, in order that. The subject of iisfcrt (Hiph. 
Inf. of b^j) is reflection and understanding. — , evil, a noun 
here, but still qualifying tftS . — nisanri (from Tj5in), lit. per- 
versities. It is an abstract plur. here, used adverbially, (so 
rendered in the version), or it may be rendered perverse 
things, i. e. deceptive, mendacious, fraudulent things. 

(13) Who forsake the paths of uprightness, to walk in the ways of 
darkness. 

In v. 12, tt^at is generic ; accordingly we here find the 
plural, the subject being the same as before. — rdbb (see on 
1: 2 for b) in order that they may walk. That is, in other 
words : " They choose darkness rather than light, because 
their deeds are evil." 

(14) Who rejoice to do evil, who exult in evil perversions. 

This verse adds to the description, by showing that they 
do evil with a strong feeling of gratification. — sftiyi (in Kal) 
has no subject expressed, (if there were one, it would be ^Nj), 
because the relative ti in the Part. (= Stis ) is carried forward 
mentally, and supplies the true subject. — The at the end 
of the verse, serves to strengthen the preceding noun, and 
to make it more intensive. 



Part I— Chap. II. 15—17. 163 



(15) Whose ways are distorted, and in their paths they are perverse. 

Distorted or tortuous ivays means deceitful and fraudulent 
conduct. — Perverse means substantially the same thing, viz., 
first, literally, that which is bent, crooked; and therefore, 
secondly, its tropical meaning is fraudulent. The Part, 
comes from i*b , fleeter e. 

Thus much for the first four verses of this second division. The 
next four are occupied with the subject of the strange woman. 

(16) That they may deliver thee from the strange woman, from the 
stranger who maketh smooth her words. 

h^rh stands in the same connection as in v. 12, i. e. reflec- 
tion and understanding (v. 11) will so guard thee, as to 
deliver, etc. — itjt , participial noun, from *M , lit. one who 
turns aside, deflects, i. e. from the paths of rectitude, and 
usually applied to a foreigner as an enemy. But the idea 
of a foreign origin is not essential (indeed it is not admissi- 
ble) here, if we compare the remaining verses. The woman 
in question acts as foreign women were wont to do ; and 
hence the name of stranger is applied to her. — lit. desig- 
nates one of foreign origin; but as the next verse speaks of 
the woman in question as forgetting the covenant of her God* 
she must of course be a Hebrew, and merely one who acts 
like a heathen. We often speak of heathen men as living in 
our midst, meaning merely to designate those who act like 
heathen. So the writer before us. — The pron. "fffijat is 
omitted before iTfrast , as it very often is in poetry, and not 
unfrequently even in prose, § 121. 3. — To make smooth her 
words means to speak enticing and flattering words. 

(17) Who forsaketh the friend of her youth, and forgetteth the 
covenant of her God. 

tjvjB? , plur. form, in order to express the idea of extended 
time, § 106. 2. a. — SnrtittJ, (in Pause which makes the 5), 
the Perfl being used in order to designate a continuing or 



164 



Part I— Chap. II. 18, 19. 



abiding period == has forgotten and is forgetting. — The cove- 
nant of her God, shows that, in the ceremony of marriage at 
that time, appeal was made to God, who was called to wit- 
ness the vows and promises made. The adulterous woman 
(and such is the one meant here) breaks these vows, or this 
covenant. She has a double load of guilt, that which 
respects her husband, and that which has respect to God. 
All this refers to some custom at weddings, in regard to 
vows and promises, which the Pent, has not enjoined or 
described, but which the times and the exigencies of the 
case had rendered necessary. 

(18) For her house sinketh down to the dead, and her paths to the 
shades. 

As iirpjj now stands accented (on the penult), it must come 
from HW , and is third pers. fern. But its subject, r^a , is 
nearly always masc. There can be little difficulty in the 
case, however, if any one consults the list of common gender 
nouns in Ewald's Gramm. § 174. d, which expressly includes 
fPS ; and so decides Bertheau, in his Comm. on this verse. — 
I have rendered nWf death ) by dead, the abstract being used 
for the concrete ; and so this first clause of the verse is like 
the last. — To the shades, or ghosts, i. e. the manes or umbrae 
of the Latins ; for shades has often this sense in English. 
— means ghosts, spectres, inasmuch as it signifies 

debiles, flaccidi, i. e. weak, withered, having neither blood 
nor energetic vitality. The popular belief among the He- 
brews was, that the region of the dead (bii<ti3 the under world ) 
was peopled by such umbrae. — Sentiment : 4 Her habitation 
will sink into certain destruction and ruin.' There is plainly 
a reference to the earth as swallowing up Korah and his 
company ; this is, therefore, a loud note of warning to the im- 
prudent and unsuspecting youth, who may be enticed by the 
adulteress. It is still more fully developed in the next verse. 

(19) All who go in unto her, return not j they do not attain to the 
paths of life. 



Part I— Chap. II. 20—22. 



165 



In , the accent is drawn down on the ultimate, by 

the 5 paragogic, and therefore Q under the Yodh of the 
first syllable is dropped. — hyfeh , Hiph. of nbj , because the 
Kal form is not in use. — Sentiment : 6 The destruction of 
all who visit her is certain and irremediable.' 

(20) So that thou shouldst go in the way of the good, and keep the 
paths of the righteous. 

That is, all these warnings are uttered that, in order that, 
etc., ; which is like to the \ at the beginning of vs. 12, 
16. — The way of the good, or path of the righteous, is the 
only way of peace and safety. 

(21) For the upright shall inhabit the land, and men of integrity 
shall remain therein. 

Men of integrity, d^Efr , are those who do not walk in the 
crooked and perverted ways mentioned in v. 15 ; comp. 
Matt. 5:5. — sntW , Niph. Imperf. of ■jtfg , lit. shall he left, 
or be remaining. The meaning is, that while the wicked are 
cut off from the land, the upright shall remain or be left therein. 

(22) But the wicked shall be cut off from the land, and the treach- 
erous be swept away from it. 

This accords with the usual tenor of threatenings in the 
Old Testament. " The wicked shall not live out half their 
days." Premature and violent death will come upon them. 
— Jinfe"] makes some little difficulty, being, as it would seem, 
from fi&a , and in the Imperf. Kal. Lit. they will sweep them- 
selves away, i. e. tear themselves away, from the land. I 
should prefer a root HTO (like nra), and point it in Niphal, 
iilna'i , which would give of course a passive sense. There 
is another way, however, of solving the difficulty. Render 
thus : And the treacherous shall they sweep from the land, i. e. 
the people or magistracy will sweep away the tr»*tfei, the 
verb having (as often) an indef. subject which is not ex- 



166 



Part I-Chap. III. 1, 2. 



pressed. This is the most simple construction, as the text 
now stands ; and this amounts to the use of a passive voice, 
Ewald, § 272. h. See Roedig. Gramm. § 134. 3. b. 

Chap. III. 1—35. 

[This chapter has a triplex division, viz. (a) vs. 1 — 10. (b) vs. 11 — 
20. (c) vs. 21 — 35. Each of these divisions is introduced by the com- 
pellative, ^ . The first division has artistic marks about it. It is 
subdivided into five couplets, each of which consists of two verses. 
In every one, the second verse of the couplet exhibits a promise of 
good, consequent on obedience to what is prescribed. 

A summary of contents is rather a difficult task, since there is so 
much of the gnomic stamp in the chapter. In some cases several 
verses are connected ; but there is no long-continued series respecting 
the same subject. The first division (vs. 1 — 10) comprises summarily 
this : My son, attend diligently to my instruction ; for long life and 
peace will be the consequence, vs. 1, 2. Never neglect kindness and 
faithfulness, for these will render thee an object of favor to God and 
man, vs. 3, 4. Trust implicitly in God, and he will direct thy ways, 
vs. 5, 6. Be not wise in thine own conceit, but fear God, who will 
keep thee from evil, and make thy condition safe and salutary, vs. 
7, 8. Honor Jehovah with thy substance, and he will make abundant 
provision for thy support and comfort, vs. 9, 10.] 

(1) My son, forget not my instruction ; let thy heart keep my com- 
mandments. 

The original sense of iTiifr is here retained, viz., instruc- 
tion, from jrrjj to teach. — ^ni^'o (read mits-vo-thi) is from 
nis , with a 1 movable consonant. — iS!^ , with 2 radical 
assimilated, while in 2 : 11. 5 : 2, it is retained in full, in the 
same tense. This shows an oscillation of usage, in regard 
to the Imperf. of verbs )i . The Imperf. here, as is very 
common, is hortative. 

(2) Eor length of days, and years of life, and also peace, shall be 
added to thee. 

This is of like tenor with the fifth commandment, which 
has the same promise. Long life is a very frequent prom- 



Part I— Chap. in. 3, 4. 



167 



ise to the obedient; comp. Prov. 9:11. 10:27. On the 
contrary, the impious are soon cut off; see 2:22. — And 
also peace, since this commences the second clause, it needs 
some note of distinction. By rendering 1 and also, we make 
a distinction, and one quite within the province of this par- 
ticle. That the wicked shall not have peace is clear ; see 
Is. 48:22. 57:21. — Witt they add — who or what will 
add ? Apparently the Nom. or subject is the instruction and 
commands of v. 1. But the verb is masc, the nouns both 
fern. ; of course the Nom. indefinite must be supposed = 
they shall add, which is equivalent to a passive ; and so I 
have translated it (see § 134. 3) by the passive. — sfcPHDii 
might be rendered, cause to increase ; but Kal has no Imperf. 
in use, and Hiphil is its substitute ; and so we may render 
simply by add; but this means here increase. 

(3) Let not kindness and faithfulness forsake thee; bind them on 
thy neck, inscribe them on the tablet of thy heart. 

That is, demean not thyself so as to compel them to for- 
sake thee, or, treat them not with neglect so as to alienate 
them, — ^Dtt means kindness of disposition toward others, 
love of a friend, or the love of God for us. — n^tf (apoc. 
form of t\SEH) means faithfulness or truthfulness, prop- 
erly that which can be relied on, that which is stable. — 
Bind them on thy neck, i. e. wear them as a conspicuous 
ornament of honor, (see on 1: 9) ; for such were chains 
about the neck, set with rubies. — Inscribe on the tablet of 
the heart, i. e. inscribe them on a tablet which will be always 
present with thee, and always reminding thee of thy duty ; 
comp. Jer. 31: 33. The te_ plur. suff. after each Imper. 
verb, refers to kindness and faithfulness in v. 3 ; and not, 
as C. B. Michaelis and others say, to instruction and com- 
mand in v. 1, for these are both fern., while the suff. is 
masculine. 

(4) And thou shalt find favor and good success in the sight of God 
and man. 



168 



Part I— Chap. III. 5-7. 



HSftl follows another Imper. which contains a monition, 
and therefore, although Imp. in form, it here designates a 
promise of what is consequent upon obedience, § 127. 2. — 
bste is somewhat difficult here. If (with Bertheau) w r e ren- 
der it understanding, (as in 13: 15. Ps. Ill: 10), it hardly 
seems appropriate ; for the fact of having obeyed, shows of 
itself that the obedient is already in the possession of bs^i 
One meaning of V^torr, however, is succession habuit or 
dedit. As kindred to this I have given the meaning of isia 
in the version ; and then we have something that corresponds 
with a gift now bestowed, and not before possessed. Ges. 
renders it by felicitas, in his Lex., which = our good luck. 

— In the sight, etc., i. e. in the view, judgment, or opinion, 
of both God and man. In other words : 4 Thou shalt find 
favor and be truly prospered, God and man both bearing 
witness to thy well-directed efforts.' 

(5) Trust in Jehovah with all thine heart, and lean not upon thine 
own understanding. 

This inculcates humility, and stands opposed to pride and 
self-confidence. — to, toward; so the Heb., but in our 
own idiom we say : lean upon. 

(6) In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight 
thy paths. 

This verse connects intimately with the preceding one, and 
presents a good reason for following the advice there given. 

— 2-1 with the surf, becomes siits-i . — fr^tt has an emphatic 
sense, and it is inserted for this reason. The meaning is, he 
and none else. — ittj^ is reg. Piel Imperfect. 

(7) Be not wise in thine own view; fear Jehovah, and turn away 
from evil. 

That is, instead of* confiding in your own sagacity and 
ability to secure your peace and welfare, fear God and avoid 



Part I— Chap. in. 8—10. 



169 



doing evil. This is the safer and wiser course ; for the fear 
of God will guard you against the doing of evil. 

(8) It shall be healing to thy body, and refreshment to thy bones. 

, of the optative or voluntative form, but as it has no 
1 to mark an apodosis, it must be taken as indicating prom- 
ise; comp. 5: 18. 7: 9.— -r^ftb, from *ns with suff., with 
Hholem shortened by its standing in a mixed syllable, lit. 
thy navel. Being the central point of the body, it is virtu- 
ally taken as the representative of the whole. — ^p 1 ^ , lit. 
irrigation, figuratively refreshment. Sentiment : 6 The fear 
of God will give healing in sickness, and refreshment in a 
time of need.' — Bones represent the substantial parts of the 
human frame, which, when wearied or exhausted, needs rest 
and refreshment. 

(9) Honor Jehovah with thy substance, and with the first fruits of 
all thy produce. 

This refers to the precepts of the Law, which direct that 
of all the first fruits an offering shall be made to God, Ex. 
23:19. Lev. 2:12, 26. 19:23. Deut. 18:4, 11. comp. 
Gen. 28 : 22. Sentiment : 6 To show gratitude to God for 
his blessings, is one of our leading duties.' 

(10) Then shall thy granaries be filled abundantly, and thy presses 
shall burst forth with new wine. 

The blessings of plenty shall be copiously bestowed on the 
obedient. The corn and the wine shall abound and overflow. — 
25^, used adverbially. — "d'TPni , placed first emphatically. 
The shape of the Hebrew seems to be thus : 6 And as to 
new wine, thy presses shall pour it forth.' So the accents 
indicate. 

Second Division, vs. 11 — 20. 

[It is difficult to make out a connected plan here. Ys. 11,12, enjoin 
diligent attention to the chastisements which Providence inflicts. Vs. 

15 



170 



Part I—Chap. III. 11, 12. 



13, seq. relapse into the praises of Wisdom, and the precious rewards 
that she bestows : which are better than silver, gold, rubies, and all 
choice things, vs. 13 — 15. Length of days, riches, honor, pleasure, 
and peace, are all within her gift, vs. 16, 17. She is a tree of life, 
which makes those blessed who lay hold of her, v. 18. Jehovah 
founded the earth by her assistance, and established the heavens ; he 
clave the abysses, and made the clouds to distil rain, vs. 19, 20. 

It is apparent, therefore, that there is no visible connection between 
vs. 11, 12, and the sequel. But vs. 13 — 20 are closely united in one 
theme.] 

(11) My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord, nor loath 
his reproof. 

This comes appropriately after a promise of blessings ; 
for it is as much as to say : fi You must not expect that all 
will be prosperity. Adversity will come ; God's chastening 
hand will smite ; but do thou not shrink from it, nor repine, 
for it is the hand of fatherly discipline, smiting for your 
spiritual good — smiting in order to keep you humble, and 
to teach you how dependent you are on him.' — "ppfi is 
stronger than the preceding verb, and the verse is climactic. 
Our English version ( weary ) does not give the true sense 
of this word, since it is too weak to express the Hebrew. 

(12) For whom Jehovah loveth he chastcneth, even as a father the 
son in whom he delighteth. 

Chastisement, in the way of discipline, is only a fruit of 
kindness; see Deut. 8:5. Ps. 118:18. Prov. 13:24.— 
demands ■niBB to be supplied before it, since it consti- 
tutes a relative clause. It is singular that the Sept. should 
here have read 3^ , and rendered it fxaariyoi, chastens, 
instead of reading the text SKM , and as a father. In Heb. 
12 : 6, this version is followed. This shows that the Sev- 
enty had no vowel-points to guide them. — The verb rpb*i> 
is to be mentally supplied before ^"titf , from the preceding 
clause. The word zxs , as a father, merely qualifies the 
manner of the chastisement. In other words : ' If promised 



Part I— Chap. III. 13, 14. 



171 



prosperity should be interrupted, and suffering come, remem- 
ber still, that when God chastens the obedient, it is not from 
want of love for them, but only with a design to try and to 
purify them. Eemember, moreover, that, such being the 
case, he will chastise in measure and in mercy, even as an 
affectionate father does.' 

(13) Blessed is the man who hath found wisdom, even the man who 
draweth forth understanding. 

Here the two tenses (in a kind of contrast) have a special 
significance. atSE , Perf., has found and still finds ; p^3J 
(Imperf. Hiph. of p^S), lit. makes to come forth, i. e. habitu- 
ally draws forth from its fountain. The Targum well ren- 
ders here by 5 h ?9> causes to gush forth ; see Ps. 144: 13. 
Is. 58 : 10. The Imperf. designates that the wise man does 
this habitually, or that he is doing and will do this. The 
tw r o clauses stand related almost as past habitual obtaining 
does to future acquiring which will be continual. In the 
second case, the causing wisdom to come forth, implies that he 
will obtain it from God, the source of all good ; comp. Prov. 
8 : 35. 18 : 22, for the like sentiment. 

(14) For the gain thereof is better than the gain of silver; and the 
produce thereof than fine gold. ^ 

"irto means lit. gain resulting from traffic. — y*nn is a 
word whose etymology has perplexed the critics. Ges. says, 
that " it designates gold, sive a colore acuto dictum est, sive 
quod avide appetitur ab hominibus." Certainly not a very 
satisfactory etymology. Pure gold is rather dull of color 
than acute or sharp ; and the avide appetitur in this word, 
must be referred to the Arabic for any support. There is a 
more easy solution. The ancient mines in hither Asia, as 
well as those now in California, doubtless yielded gold, more 
or less of which was like the pure lumps now found in the 
latter region. This was of course in the highest repute ; 



172 Part I— Chap. III. 15—17. 



for what was native, could not have been alloyed by any 
fraud. Now as one sense of y*yn is to dig, fodere, so y^n 
lit. means, that which is dug out ; and this appellation seems 
to be applied to gold %az i%6%rjv, as being the most valuable 
of all which is dug out of the earth. All the ancient ver- 
sions understand the word as meaning the better sort of gold. 
Sentiment : 6 Wisdom is better than the most splendid 
wealth.' 

(15) More precious is it than pearls ; and all thy jewels cannot 
compare with it. 

The tenor of the discourse is climactic. Pearls and jewels 
sire valued as the highest kind of riches. — d^Ste is elsewhere 
always written d^53, (see Job 28: 18. Prov. 8: 11) ; and 
so we have it in the Qeri of the margin. One cannot well 
doubt, that the second 3 has fallen out in the Kethibh here. 
Jewels are figuratively named SpSSri thy desirable things, be- 
cause they are things so much desired and sought after in 
the East, for the adornment of both sexes. See a like com- 
parison in order to show the worth of wisdom, in Job 28 : 12 
— 28, truly a most splendid description. — sflttri (yish-vu) 
from tiw with 1 medial consonant. 

T T 

(16) Length of days is in her right hand ; in her left are riches and 
honor. 

As to long life, compare 9:11; also vs. 7 — 10 above, and 
v. 2. As to riches and honor, comp. 8 : 18. 22 : 4. — In her 

right hand, and in her left, L e. she dispenses her blessings 
with both hands, or, in other words, abundantly. 

(17) Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. 

Her ways means the ways which she points out and recom- 
mends. — dSb , whatever is lovely , pleasant, agreeable. — Peace 
is a word expressive of the opposite not only of all disquie- 
tude, but also of all alarm from fear of evil. 



Part I— Chap. in. 18—20. 173 



(18) A tree of life is she to those who lay hold upon her ; and those 
who grasp her, shall each be blessed. 

A tree of life is a tree whose fruit imparts or preserves 
life ; with reference, perhaps, to the tree of life in the garden 
of Eden. — "rtSisa , sing, number, w r hile the subject apparently 
is plural. But this word here is what grammarians call an 
individualizing predicate. In other words, when the subject is 
plural and comprehends a mass, the predicate, by being sim- 
ply put in the singular, makes the declaration contained in 
it applicable to each and every individual of the mass. I 
have therefore so rendered it in the version. Comp. for like 
usage, Ex. 31: 14. Gen. 27: 29 (bis), comp. 12 : 3. Zach. 
11: 5 ; see Ewald, § 309. a. On the other hand, the sing, 
often goes over, in a continued construction, into the plural, 
when it has a generic and therefore comprehensive mean- 
ing; see Ew. ib. and comp. Rodig. § 143. 4. § 143. 1. 

(19) Jehovah hath founded the earth by wisdom ; he hath estab- 
lished the heavens by understanding. 

This is the highest testimony to the excellence of wisdom 
which can be given. To the Most High she is as it were a 
counsellor. How invaluable, then, to erring men, who so 
much jieed counsel ! The words fiE^n , , and ftMSfi , are 

t:t 7 — ' t : * 

so often interchanged with each other, that we may safely con- 
clude variety of diction merely to be the object in view, and 
not the expression of ideas substantially different from each 
other. In v. 19, the first and last of these three words are 
obviously of the same import. The next verse gives us the 
other variation, which is plainly equivalent in signification. 

(20) By his knowledge the abysses were cleft ; and the clouds which 
distil the dew. 

In Gen. 1: 6, the waters (= Sninirta ) are separated, and a 
part are congregated above the firmament and a part below ; 
see v. 7 in the sequel there. It is this dividing to which 

15* 



174 



Part I— Chap. III. 21. 



the ^£3? of the text refers. It needed great skill and wis- 
dom to make this separation, so as to promote the most ben- 
eficial ends. To the upper tfiiisn belong the clouds with 
their aqueous contents. These distil the waters of the upper 
region upon the earth, and fructify it. — The clouds > 
distil, i. e. gently drop or let fall, viz. the dew. This is effected 
by his wisdom (here called M?), which is strikingly mani- 
fested in this arrangement of the two abysses. Without the 
vapory diiirn above, there could be no dew. 

Such is the impassioned and sublime eulogy of Wisdom. 
Well may the writer urge all his readers, to strive for the 
attainment of it. 

Third Division, vs. 21 — 35. 

[The monitor now resumes his hortatory address to his pupil, to 
persuade him to cleave to the pursuit of wisdom. It will keep him in 
safety ; he may lie down in security and sleep sweetly, for no fear of 
destruction will disturb him, since Jehovah is his keeper, vs. 21 — 26. 
The next five verses all begin with "btt , which stands before clauses 
designed to be prohibitions. One must not withhold any feasible good 
from his neighbor ; he must not put off a favor to him, which he can 
now do ; he must not slander him ; he must not causelessly contend with 
him ; he must not be emulous of him, vs. 27 — 31. All this must not 
be done, for Jehovah hates the perverse, while he is the friend of the 
righteous ; his curse is on the house of the wicked, while ^the habitation 
of the just is blessed, vs. 32, 33. Inasmuch as he mocks scorners, and 
shows favor to the righteous, the wise shall inherit glory, but shame 
shall take away fools, vs. 34, 35.] 

(21 ) My son, let them not depart from thy sight ; hold fast counsel 
and reflection. 

One difficulty here is, to find the plur. masc. subject of 
iitij . Some choose the two nouns in the second clause, and 
say that they are here anticipated, (as it sometimes happens). 
But both of these nouns are feminine. If we fall back, as 
does Bertheau, on v. 1 of the chapter, then there is the same 



Part I— Chap. III. 22—24. 175 



objection. It is easier, therefore, to make ^3 refer to the 
various d^S 1 ? , i. e. things said, or matters treated of in the 
context preceding, and thus give to the verb a comprehensive 
aspect. Meaning : ' Do not lose sight of any of these precepts 
or things inculcated.' — "Vsa , to keep or guard with care, to hold 
fast or firmly. — rr*i23>ifi (from ITOj) counsel, viz. such as had 
now been given. — ? here in a good sense again, reflec- 
tion, or rather here, the result of thought and reflection, viz. 
such a result as had been communicated ; not = devote your- 
self to reflection, for this would be expressed by sb-ia trtto . 
The reward follows : — 

(22) And they shall be life to thy soul, and grace to thy neck. 

What shall be so ? The verb is masc, and therefore the 
subject cannot be the two nouns that immediately precede. 
The reference, then, must be regarded as the same as that 
implied in the case of S»i| . But all difficulty may be avoided 
by making pNg (plur.) the subject, and translating thus : 
Life shall be to thy soul, i. e. long life, life par excellence. But 
neither Umbreit nor Bertheau notice this. — Grace to thy 
neck, i. e. they shall adorn thy neck with a collet of honor ; 
comp. v. 3, and specially 1:9. If the first clause be rendered 
as just proposed, then the second must run thus : Grace shall 
be to thy neck. 

(23) Then shalt thou go on thy way in confidence ; and thy foot 
shall not stumble. 

hasb , the b of condition, see Lex. B. 3. — (from ^55), 
to hit or strike against anything, and thence to stumble. In 
other words : 6 The journey of life shall be safe and smooth.' 

(24) When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid : yea, when 
thou liest down, thy sleep shall be sweet. 

When danger is feared, sleep is apt to be light and inter- 
rupted. Sweet sleep accompanies quietude and a sense of 
security. The shape of the Hebrew in the last clause stands 



176 Part I— Chap. HI. 25—27. 



thus : And shouldest thou lie down, then thy sleep shall he sweet 
But the version above expresses well the sense. 

(25) Eear not any sudden terror, nor the destructive tempest of the 
wicked when it shall come. 

dfcna , lit. suddenly, as an adverb. But very often an 
adverb is employed in the place of an adjective. — Tempest 
of the wicked may mean that tempest which the wicked raise ; 
but the passive meaning is better here, viz. that tempest 
which comes, sudden and furious, to sweep away the wicked. 

(26) Tor Jehovah will be thy confidence ; yea, he will keep thy foot 
from the snare. 

, lit. in thy confidence. But this English version 
would not give the true meaning. The 3 here is the Beth 
essentiae or Beth predicate, and merely gives intensity to the 
expression, comp. Ex. 18:4; see § 151. 3. a. y. — 15b, 
snare, found only in this book. Sentiment : 6 Jehovah will 
impart to thee strong confidence, and keep thee from concealed 
dangers.' — For similar declarations, see Ps. 78 : 7. Job. 8 : 
14. 31: 24. 

(27) Withhold not good from those to whom it belongs, when it is 
in the power of thy hand to do [it.J 

Good is here favor of any kind — a favor, as we say. — 
1"&S3i ? lit* t° ti ie owners of it, i. e. those to whom it belongs 
or is due. — b renins , when it appertains to. — , might, 
strength, power, probably the remoter root of fjjiV&j;, God, 
quasi the Mighty One. For the same expression as here, see 
Gen. 31: 29. Mic. 2: 1. Deut. 28 : 32. Neh. 5 : 5. — f^ 
has the vowels of Srpu (Qeri) in the sing. ; but this is useless, 
for we may just as well read Tp^. — omits, through 

brevity, the pronoun which I have supplied in the version 
above. The next verse shows more exactly what the present 
one means. 



Part I— Chap. III. 28—31. 



177 



(28) Say not to thy friend : Go, and return, and to-morrow I will 
give, when it is with thee. 

^SfisJ ? vowels for the sing. ^sn? , which is correct 
here (so Qeri), as the verbs which follow are in the singular. 
— b in5< (Imperf. of ta ,n3), here used absolutely without any 
object, simply designating the act of giving. — py\ , and yet it 
is or there is, § 152. B. b., which I have expressed for substance 
in the version. The Nom. to & may be ate (of v. 27) ; but 
it may also be rendered impersonally by there is. The other? 
however, is rather preferable. 

(29) Devise not evil against thy neighbor, when he dwelleth securely 
with thee. 

u3nnn , lit. fabricate, machinate, but trop. as above ; see 
Ezek. 21: 36. — Dwelleth securely with thee, probably refers 
here to the sojourning traveller, who seeks a friendly lodge, 
and feels secure in it, in accordance with the laws of hospi- 
tality nearly universal in hither Asia. The host is not to lay 
a plan for robbing his guest, who has entrusted himself to his 
care and protection. Doubtless there were men enough who 
practised such breaches of good faith and kindness ; and 
hence the necessity of a warning. Such a crime was a very 
aggravated one. — KttTi , plainly = when he, and it is designed 
to be emphatic. 

(30) Strive not with a man without cause, when he has done thee 
no harm. 

3*N?i , the Kethibh should be pointed ; but the Qeri is also 
well.— The here is explained by the next clause. There 
is no proper cause or ground of striving, where no wrong has 
been done. — tji>n| , lit. rendered thee. The Hebrews often 
said : Render good or evil to a person, where we say : Do good 
or evil to him. The Nom. subject is comprised in the verb 

-T 

(31) Be not envious toward the man of violence; and choose none 
of his ways. 



178 



Part I— Chap. III. 32—35. 



tfSgtn , means a jealous love or desire, and indicates a high 
degree of affection or desire toward any person or thing, 
which brings with it anxious w T ishes to obtain or retain it. 
Sentiment : 4 Do not anxiously covet the booty which men 
of violence acquire ; do not desire any connection with them/ 
■ — None of his ways, i. e. none of those ways in which he 
develops the character of a depredator. 

(32) For the perverse is an abomination to Jehovah ; but with the 
upright is his secret. 

13 is employed here as in 2:26, i. e. to introduce a new 
shade of thought. It may, however, be regarded here (as 
also there) as causal, introducing a reason for the preceding 
declaration. — ilid = secret or confidential intercourse. Only 
friends, i. e. the upright, enjoy this privilege ; comp. Job 
19 : 19. Ps. 55 : 15, where a like sense of the word occurs. 

(33) The curse of Jehovah is on the house of the wicked ; but the 
habitation of the righteous he will bless. 

The curse of Jehovah, when it falls on the house of the 
wicked, destroys and eradicates it ; comp. in Zach. 5 : 3, seq. 
Mai. 2:2. 

(34) When he mocketh the scorners, and giveth grace to the humble ; 

A protasis, of which the following verse is the apodosis. 
Emphasis rests on tfJiin here, and for this purpose, indeed, 
it is inserted. Meaning : 6 When he (God) himself mocks, 
etc. ; ' here the verb is followed by b before the object. It 
may be employed either with or without it ; but most usual 
is the latter construction, Ps. 119 : 51. Prov. 14 : 9. — fi^i? , 
Qeri ti^TO , both forms, however, are used and are normal. 

(35) The wise shall inherit glory, but as to fools — shame shall 
sweep [them] away. 

Glory means here honor, or an exalted station. — fb^ d^a 
has been differently rendered : Shame shall elevate or ennoble 



Part I— Chap. IV. 



179 



fools, spoken sarcastically ; so Ziegler, Ewald. But Chald., 
Syr. C. B. Mich., and others : Shall receive shame, making 
tflya = take up, with the adjunct notion of carrying away. 
I prefer the meaning sanctioned by Ezek. 21: 31. Is. 57: 14, 
viz., to take off, to sweep away, like as the dust which is ele- 
vated by the wind and is swept off, as may be seen in Is. 
17: 13. comp. Is. 29 : 5. Ps. 35 : 5. At least the image, un- 
derstood in this way, is very vivid. It stands thus : ' Fools 
are elevated like the light dust, and then are swept away in 
the same manner. Their shameful conduct brings this upon 
them.' But the following sense is not a bad one : Shame is 
the exalter of fools ; said, of course, ironically. It is at least 
literal, and very significant, and is not without parallels. 
Muntinghe significantly : Shame is the nobility conferred on 
fools, , lit. lightness, rather favors, however, the idea 
of being elevated and swept away 7 as light bodies are wont 
to be, by the storm, i. e. by the divine indignation. 

Chap. IV. 1—27. 

[This chapter also has three divisions, made by My son, at the be- 
ginning of each. In the first portion, ys. 1, 2, the children are exhorted 
to listen to wise and good instruction. The writer goes on to 
state, that when he was a child, he received instruction from parental 
affection, with counsel to observe it diligently, vs. 3, 4. The advice 
given was, above all things to acquire wisdom, and never to swerve 
from it ; for this would keep him in safety, vs. 5. 6. Wisdom is there 
fore the first or principal thing, and should be obtained at all events. 
She will exalt and honor him, who attains her. She will also adorn 
him with a beautiful wreath and diadem, vs. 7 — 9. 

The corresponding clauses here, and throughout the chapter, are 
very exact, with the single exception of v. 4, which alone has three 
clauses. The Svriac has a clause after v. 4, omitted in the present 
Hebrew text, which runs thus : Let my law be as the apple of thine eye. 
If this were admitted, it would make v. 4 into four clauses, i. e. into 
two verses, and would restore regularity to the whole chapter. The 
Sept. is so perplexed here, that we cannot well make out from it what 
its Heb. text was. J 



180 Part I— Chap. IV. 1—5. 



( 1 ) Hear, ye children, the admonition of a father, and listen to 
knowledge and understanding. 

The plural, d^s , is employed here in the room of the 
usual singular. Comp. 1: 8, as to the tenor of the command. 

(2) For good doctrine have I given to you ; forsake not my in- 
struction. 

For ngb, see 1: 5. 9: 9. The Perf. has what is 
called the continuing or permanent sense, have given and still 
give. — ^ifi , here in its primary sense. 

(3) For a son was I to my father, a tender and only [child] in the 
view of my mother. 

The design is to refer to a tender age (?p ) or early child- 
hood, and also to the fact that he either was, or was treated 
as, an only son ; of course, as one much beloved. In this con- 
dition he received, in early life, the paternal instruction thus 
timely given. In other words, he had been taught from 
childhood the lessons of wisdom which he was going now to 
teach. — Son to my father denotes something more than 
physical origin. The writer means, that he was treated as a 
son by his affectionate father ; who, as the next verse shows, 
was his instructor. The second clause shows in what light 
his mother regarded him, treating him as a tender and only 
child. — ¥»fTj , only, means more than simply beloved ; for 
special affection is usually the lot of the only child. In the 
New Testament, fiovoyevrjg has just the same meaning. 

(4) And he taught me, and said to me: Let thine heart take fast 
hold of my words ; keep my commands and thou shalt live. 

, Hiph. of ; in Kal the meaning to teach is want- 
ing. — ri^Tiij , (for 3 with Seghol, see § 102. 2. <?.), lit. and 
live. But being a second Imper., it implies a promise, § 127 
2, and is equivalent to the Imperf. second person. 

(5) Get wisdom, get understanding; forget not, and decline not 
from the words of my mouth. 



Part I— Chap. IV. 6—9. 



181 



Each clause here is bi-membral. — Forget not, has no 
Acc. after it expressed ; but ^igfit is a proper one, and may- 
be gathered or supplied from the next member of the clause. 

(6) Forsake her not, and she will keep thee ; love her, and she will 
preserve thee. 

rnrtist , love her, the Imp. with Pattah, nnis; , makes the 
form in the text, before the suff. ri~ is appended. For the 
repeated ^- , suff. to two of the verbs, see Gramm. p. 289, 
B. on the left. 

(7) The principal thing is wisdom, get wisdom ; even with all thy 
property, procure understanding. 

That is, if it cost thee all thy wealth, still obtain wisdom. 
It is worth more than all which can be given for it. There- 
fore at all events obtain it, if it be possible. — % before the 
noun which expresses the price paid for a thing, is common, 
Lex. a , B. 9. 

(8) Exalt her, and she will elevate thee ; she will honor thee, when 
thou shalt embrace her. 

tih'qb'q , Pilpel of V?b . In other words : 6 Hold her in the 
highest estimation, and thou thyself shalt be exalted and 
honored.' — Embrace her, is indicative of, or designed to 
express, affectionate attachment. 

( 9 ) She will give to thine head a graceful wreath ; a beautiful dia- 
dem will she bestow on thee. 

For sentiment and mode of expression, see 1:9. — ■ftjaatn , 
an unfrequent verb, and used only in Piel ; so here, and in 
Gen. 14 : 20. Hos. 11:8. It governs two Accusatives here, as 
Piel often does, § 136. 1. The second division of the chap- 
ter now follows, and urges still further the acquiring of wis- 
dom, and holds up the many advantages that are secured 
by it. 



182 Part I— Chap. IV. 10—13. 



Part Second, vs. 10 — 19. 

[In different forms are presented the ideas of the writer with respect 
to the importance of wisdom. His earnestness on the subject appears 
from his repeated exhortations to acquire the possession of it, and the 
promises of many blessings to be derived from it. Long life, safety, 
and deliverance from danger, are the reward, vs. 10 — 12. One should 
therefore grasp it firmly, and hold it fast ; and in order to do this, he 
must never frequent the path of the wicked, vs. 13, 14. That path he 
must firmly reject ; he must turn from it, and go on in another direc- 
tion, v. 15. The wicked are sleepless, unless they can do evil. They 
feed on the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence, vs. 
16, 17. Truly the path of the just is like the rising light of the dawn, 
shining more and more unto perfect day ; but the path of the wicked 
is dark, they know not on what they stumble, vs. 18, 19.] 

(10) Listen, my son, and receive my words, that they may increase 
for thee years of life. 

Comp. the same sentiment in 3:2, and see the remarks 
there. For the meaning of *j before sia'Y; , see § 152. B. e. 

(11) I have instructed thee in the way of wisdom, I have made thee 
to tread in the paths of uprightness. 

irfjfi for Wjfri , Hiph. of Str* . To teach the disciple wis- 
dom, is to prepare him of course to walk uprightly. 

(12) When thou goest, thy step shall not be straitened; and if 
thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble. 

The verse is climactic. Running increases the danger 
of stumbling ; but even the higher danger shall be warded 
off. — For w , Imperf. Kal of W , see Lex. No. ii. The 
Pattah belongs to the intrans. verb as such here ; but with- 
out this reason, the *i final would well account for it. 

(13) Take fast hold of instruction, and do not let go ; keep her, for 
she is thy life. 



tfns; , apoc. second person of Imperf. Hiph. of tlsft , in- 



Part I— Chap. IV. 14—16. 



183 



stead of the normal apoc. tpn, § 74. Note 14. This form 
is hortative. — rHSfca , .keep her — who ? Doubtless wisdom 
(the great object before the writer's mind) is implied here ; 
for the preceding TjbHti , its equivalent, is masc. The Dag- 
hesh in 22 is Dagh. euphonic, § 20. 2. 2 ; also called dirimens, 
i. e. separating. It makes the preceding short syllable and 
the Sheva half-syllable to be heard more distinctly, and is 
in itself a mere arbitrary sign of one of the niceties in pro- 
nouncing certain words. Ewald has treated more fully of 
it than other grammarians, in § 92. c. — fern, in refer- 
ence to wisdom implied. — Let not go, without an Acc. after 
it, renders it necessary to make out a supply mentally, either 
thus : Remit not thy hold, or else : Remit not instruction. 
Either is good. 

(14) In the path of the wicked do thou not go, nor travel in the 
way of evil men. 

"tttBSft , a new verb, for the sake of variety in the diction ; 
lit. take [no'] steps. The i>S before the two verbs shows that 
they are voluntative or hortative, rather than peremptory. 
Absolute prohibition would required. 

(15) Reject it, pass not upon it ; turn from it, and pass away. 

The Imp. with suff. here, ^fiS^S , in the simple state would 
be 3ns . The Pattah under the "i is made a Qamets, by 
toeing placed in an open syllable. — ? wi tn final short 
o because of the Maqqeph. — *ihgjj and pass away, i. e. 
from the path of the wicked, not pass on it, i. e. on the road 
of the wicked. In other words : c When in thine own right 
path, avoid the ways of the wicked ; turn from them, and 
go forward as you were before going.' 

(16) For they sleep not unless they have done evil j and are robbed 
of their sleep, if they have caused none to stumble. 

: The three Imperfs. here denote habitual and customary 
action, i. e. they express an enduring Present, which of 



184 Part I— Chap. IV. 17, 18. 

course must comprise a future sense. — wjjj from SP§^ 
Imperf. Hiph. ; 5^ , as a root, would also give the same form. 
The verb is intrans. and abs., and therefore has no object 
after it. — Are robbed of their sleep, lit. their sleep is taken 
away or robbed. I have preferred our familiar English 
idiom here. — The 1 in the last verb is manifestly wrong. 
Hiphil does not allow this. The Qeri puts Todh for it ; and 
to this letter the vowel that precedes is adapted. The 
Kethibh would be pointed s&itSb 1 ] , in Kal, and would then 
give an irrelevant sense. 

(17) For they feed on the bread of wickedness, and the wine of 
violence do they drink. 

That is, they feed on the bread which wickedness has 
obtained, and drink the wine which they have procured by 
their violence. 

(18) But the path of the righteous is as the dawning light; which 
goes on and shines until the full completion of the day. 

ft&b , splendor, but here evidently the dawning light. — - "rial 
^in, Inf. abs. and Part., (see § 128. 3. b. n. 3), which indi- 
cate a constant progression in giving out light. — b j^5, Part. 
Niph. in the const, state, meaning that which is established or 
completed. I have translated it by full completion, meaning 
thereby the highest point of the light's progress, which of 
course is at mid-day. After this, the light decreases ; and the 
second part of the day belongs not to the imagery here pre- 
sented. Sentiment : 6 The path of the just will ever become 
plainer, clearer, and more certain, until they come to the 
consummation of their journey.' But then — what follows ? 
This question is not answered here ; but may we not sup- 
pose the same feeling to have pervaded the mind of the 
writer, as that which the Psalmist entertained, when he 
said : In thy light shall we see light, i. e. in thy presence is 
true and eternal light, light in the highest sense ? Ps. 36 : 
10 (9). This is indeed the perfect day. 



Part I— Chap. IV. 19—21. 185 



Indirectly, this verse seems to confirm the idea of perseve- 
rance in the way of righteousness. The path grows brighter 
constantly, even until the consummation of the journey. 
This would not exclude the idea, that clouds and darkness 
might occasionally eclipse the light ; but it seems to estab- 
lish the position, that, although eclipsed, it is not quenched, 
it will surely return. 

(19) The way of the wicked is as thick darkness ; they know not 
on what they shall stumble. 

Here, thick darkness is contrasted with the light of the 
preceding verse. Of course, in such a darkness no one can 
know on what he may stumble. In other words : 6 They 
are surrounded with darkness which exposes them to con- 
tinual danger of stumbling to their ruin.' 

Third Division, vs. 20 — 27. 

[This begins like the other divisions, with exhortation to listen dili- 
gently, and keep the precepts given carefully in mind, because they 
will secure life and prosperity, vs. 20 — 25. The heart must above all 
be guarded, for the issues of life are from this, v. 26. One must turn 
away from those who speak perversity and deceit, and look only on 
the path which is straight and direct, vs. 24, 25. He must well con- 
sider his goings, and then his way will be steadfast, v. 26. From this 
way he must never turn, either to the right or to the left.] 

(20) My son, listen to my words ; incline thine ear to my sayings. 

ttft , apoc. Imper. of htg , in Hiph., instead of the normal 
fttsri . The final Si with its vowel is dropped, in order to form 
the apoc. word ; and by reason of this, the Dagh. of course 
falls out of the , because it cannot stand in a letter now 
become final. 

(21) Let them not recede from thy sight; keep them in the midst 
of thy heart. 

Imperf. Hiph. of more Clialdaeorum, with a 
16* 



186 Part I— Chap. IV. 22—25. 



Dagh. in the V. The normal form would be tfifyn The 
peculiar Hiph. signification hardly obtains here. So we 
have wfe* from yh , in the same way of conformity to the 
Chaldee. Sentiment : ' Always keep them before thee, and 
let them ever be in thy mind.' 

(22) For they are life to those who find them ; and to the whole 
body are they healing. 

Tltey are life, viz., his words or precepts, see v. 20. — Find 
is to obtain. — "hta , lit. his flesh = his body. The i suff. is 
sing., and is an individualizing of the plural drp$2j±£> ; see 
on 3 : 18 for explanation of the idiom. — KB^e is a simple 
Hiphilic noun, healing. 

(23) Above all [other] watching, guard well thy heart, for out of it 
are the issues of life. 

I take 53 before £>3 here to be comparative = more than, 
rather than. — ^tfj^ , that which is kept, or custodia, i. e. 
keeping or watching over. I have varied the shade of mean- 
ing in the version, in order to make it more expressive. — 
Issues of life, because the heart is the fountain, where, if 
good precepts are laid up and kept, they flow out, as it were, 
and become the occasion of virtuous conduct which tends 
to life. 

(24) Turn away from thee perverseness of mouth; and craftiness of 
lips remove far from thee. 

Both of the Acc. nouns are abstracts, and therefore strongly 
significant. — SrTOj?? designates perversion, lit. contortion ; 
while rfltl? (const, of Snsift from i*b ) means the same thing 
called by another name. Lit. the last means deflection, i. e. 
from the right way, or a winding and turning course instead 
of one straight forward. The moral idea designated by 
both, is crafty deception, whether by words or actions. 

(25) Let thine eyes look straight forward, and thine eyelids keep a 
direct course before thee. 



Part I— Chap. IV. 26, 27. 



187 



This is said in opposition to the obliquity and perverse- 
ness mentioned in the preceding verse. One must not turn 
aside from the plain way of integrity, nor even look wish- 
fully at any other course. — Eyelids is of course, here, only 
another designation of the eye — i. e. a part for the whole. 

(26) Ponder well the path of thy foot, that all thy ways may be 
steadfast. 

&!bQ , lit. to weigh in a balance ; fig. as in the version. — 
That all thy ways may be steadfast, i. e. may be such as will 
never incline to go with the perverse, now in this direction 
and then in that. In other words: ' If the way is well 
chosen, there will be no occasion for deflection from it. The 
course will be a straight and steady one.' 

(27) Turn not aside, to the right or to the left; withdraw thy foot 
from evil. 

In v. 20 occurs Eii , Imp. of iiEJ , and an apoc. in Hiph. ; 
here is tttt (of the same root) second pers. sing. apoc. of 
Imperf. in Kal, instead of the full form fii^n . In the apoc. 
form, the short Hhireq goes over into the long vowel Tseri ; 
see Lex. In Hiphil it would be D§. The formation is 
somewhat irregular. This verse presents, in another form, 
the sentiment of the preceding one. The last clause gives 
a general and summary direction. 

Chap. V. vs. 1—23. 

[This is one connected discourse, devoted to warning against adul- 
tery. It begins, as usual before, with summoning the disciple to 
hear attentively, that he may learn discretion, vs. 1, 2. The strange 
woman beguiles by flattery ; but the sequel is bitter and destructive, 
vs. 3, 4. Her steps go down to Sheol ; and she conceals and renders 
doubtful the path of life, vs. 5, 6. Again a careful listening is de- 
manded ; the disciple is urged to keep far from the way of the strange 
woman, and from her habitation, lest he should be robbed of his 
property, and he himself become a prey to the cruel, and all the fruits 



188 



Part I-Chaf. V. 1, 2. 



of his toil be seized by them, vs. 7 — 10. Bitter sorrow will follow his 
ruin, and much self-reproach will be uttered for not listening to teach- 
ers, and thus running into the greatest dangers, vs. 11—14. The 
young man is counselled to confine his enjoyments to their lawful 
and proper bounds ; within them he may find all needful satisfac- 
tion. And these enjoyments should be exclusively his ; while he 
should take pleasure, on his part, in rendering happy the wife of his 
youth. Her love alone should allure him, vs. 15 — 19. He must not 
seek strangers ; for God looketh on all his doings, and will duly weigh 
them, vs. 20, 21. The iniquities of the wicked will surely overtake 
them, and they shall die through their great folly in rejecting instruc- 
tions, vs. 22, 23. 

The subject of this chapter has already been strikingly introduced, 
in 2 : 16 — 22. The line of thought in both compositions must of 
course be for substance the same, inasmuch as both treat of one spe- 
cific vice. But the costume of each is different. Even the construc- 
tion of the parallelisms is varied, the present chapter being much less 
confined by strict adherence to rythm than the second. Indeed, there 
are several long-continued and closely-connected descriptions here, 
e. g. vs. 3 — 6, 8 — 14, 15 — 19, which are somewhat unusual in this 
book. Again, some of the verses here exhibit a scanty measure of 
words, e. g. vs. 14, 17. On the other hand, some verses are trimem- 
bral, as v. 19. So far as we can judge of Hebrew rythm, it is much 
less strictly regarded here, than is usual in the book of Proverbs.] 

(1) My son, listen to wisdom, incline thine ear to understanding. 

&!n , Hiph. Imper. Apoc, see in 4 : 20, 27, what is said on 
aft and *M . The form of this verse is the same as before, 
on like occasions. The mode of address amounts to an 
almost established formula of compellation, in consequence 
of its frequent repetition. By a Maqqeph after Eft , the 
punctators have contrived to make this and the following 
word into a kind of compound word = ii^fcjpii , and cor- 
responding to it. 

(2) In order to preserve thoughtfulness, and that thy lips may keep 
knowledge. 

The h before the Inf. indicates design or object. — hiEtn , 
(in the good sense), thoughtfulness or reflection. This may 



Part I— Chap. V. 3, 4. 



189 



exist for purposes of either good or evil ; the context will 
usually show which is meant. — Instead of another Inf. with 
b, we have now an Imperf. preceded by 1 , which is equiva- 
lent, and is often employed in a continued representation. 
See the same usage in 2 : 8, and the remarks there made 
Upon it. — m? 1 ^, the 1 here = the conj. that, and that, § 152. 
B. e. — One other difficulty occurs, noticed neither by Um- 
breit nor Bertheau. The last verb is plur. masc, while 
*pMgfc? is apparently feminine. The true solution, as I ap- 
prehend it, lies in the fact, that the members of the human 
body, although usually fern., are most of them employed 
occasionally as masculine; e. g. such is the case with the 
hand, foot, finger, eye, arm, ear, tooth, beard, etc. ; see Ewald, 
§ 174. d. The 3 radical is also retained in the Imperf. here ; 
a usage uncommonly frequent in this book. — Sentiment : 
'The object of listening is to preserve thoughtfulness of 
mind, and to acquire the power of communicating knowl- 
edge.' The indication of this lies in the noun lips, which 
are the instrument of communication. 

(3) For the lips of the strange woman distil honey, and her palate 
is smoother than oil. 

nab comes from gpi . — Snjsbtt , third plur. fern, of Imperf. 
Kal, from gpaj-. Here 5 (as more usual) is assimilated, 
and a plur. fern, is joined with lips ; directly the reverse of 
the usage in the preceding clause. This shows, of course, 
the common gender of the noun in usage. — Palate is only 
another name for lips or tongue, as we see in 8 : 7, where it 
is presented as uttering truth. Both of these words (lips 
and palate ), have a tropical meaning here, i. e. they are 
equivalent to speech, words. So honeyed words, and words 
smoother than oil, are highly descriptive of persuasive and 
delusive flattery. 

(4) But her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword. 



190 



Part I-Chap. V. 5, 6. 



Her end = the ultimate consequences brought about loy 
her, or we might briefly say : at last. — hSfa , bitter, in con^ 
trast with the sweet or honey of the preceding verse. — Sharp 
or cutting stands in contrast with smooth, in the verse before. 
— Two-edged sword, lit. a sword of edges or mouths. — Here 
are exhibited both usages in respect to the article after 3 of 
similitude ; the first noun has the article, the second omits 
it. Both usages are normal ; see § 107. 3. a. When any 
word is added, that designates some attribute which defines 
the word that has the 3 , then the article is generally omitted, 
because the thing is already made definite. Under this 
category falls the word S^ra , which is defined by ni^Q . 

(5) Her feet go down to the grave, her steps take hold of the world 
beneath. 

rvro , as the context shows, plainly means here the place of 
the dead, i. e. the grave. So Sheol is parallel with it, having 
the meaning which is assigned to it in the version. — Senti- 
ment : 6 Her ways lead to certain and irremediable ruin.' — 
iiatti is put at the beginning of the clause for the sake of 
emphasis. 

(6) That she may not ponder the path of life, her wa}^s are become 
unsteady, while she regards it not. 

The latter part of this verse is somewhat obscure, and it 
has been variously rendered by different critics, some taking 
both verbs tis second pers. sing. ; others take both as the 
third pers. fern — Ways are unsteady, s$J , vacillate. This 
creates the danger ; for how can she be certain, in such a 
case, of choosing safety ? — It is moreover added, that she is 
regardless of this vacillation, and therefore is in the greater 
danger still. In other words : ' She is so busied and per- 
plexed with her vacillating course, that she fails to ponder 
the path of life.' — JFjh (from to care for, to take 

knowledge of, see Lex. 



Part I— Chap. V. 7—10. 



191 



(7) And now, children, hearken to me 5 and turn not away from 
the words of my mouth. 

Another formula employed in calling attention ; only we 
have the plural here, viz., sons, and not my son. In ">£ , the 
Yodh suff. (= of me) coalesces with the Yodh of the noun, 
and so one Yodh falls out, as is usual in such cases. 

(8) Remove thy way far from her; and come not near the door of 
her house. 

The second clause repeats the sentiment of the first, but 
gives to it a more graphic shape. 

(9) That thou mayest not give to others thy bloom, nor thy years 
to a cruel [master,] 

For lift , as designating youthful bloom or splendor, see 
Dan. 10 : 8. Hos. 14 : 7. The idea here expressed I take to 
be this, viz., that the adulterer was of course exposed to a 
punishment for his crime, and this punishment usually ter- 
minated in his being sold into slavery ; and sold, probably, 
to some hard master, in the way of punishment. The Le- 
vitical law inflicted death for adultery, Deut. 22 : 22, seq. 
If the injured person prosecuted him who did the injury, he 
might insist on this penalty ; but if he chose to act more 
mildly, he might sell the offender into bondage, while the 
price obtained was accepted in part as a mulct for the crime. 
The idea of bondage through life seems to be suggested by 
the word niata ( years ) of the text. — Cruel [master'], was 
such an one as the injured man would be very likely to 
choose, in the way of retribution. 

(10) That strangers may not be replenished with thy wealth; nor 
thy painful toil be in the house of a stranger. 

What a slave earns, of course goes to his master, and 
becomes his fib . — Or, in the present case, it may be that 
forfeiture of the goods of the offender to the injured, as a 



192 Part I— Chap. V. 11— 14. 



part of the penalty. — Painful toil is service performed in 
bondage, the avails of which are stored in the house of the 
master. 

(11) For thou wilt moan in thy latter end, when thy body and thy 
flesh are consumed, 

TpbS, body, originally the whole body in distinction from 
. — belongs mostly to poetry, but is limited in its 
meaning to flesh. Both together, as here, comprise the 
complete whole or entirety of the human physical system. 
Meaning : 6 When total ruin comes, as it will at last come, 
then thou wilt bemoan thyself.' 

(12) Then shalt thou say: How have I hated instruction, and my 
heart despised reproof ! 

Then shalt thou say, for 1 and the Perf., see § 124. 6. a. — 
How have I hated, etc., that is : 6 Very much have I hated, 
etc/ 

(13) And I have not hearkened to the voice of my teachers, and to 
my instructors I have not inclined mine ear. 

The force of ?pa , in the preceding verse, may extend also 
to this, and we may translate : And how have I refused to 
hearken, etc. ! — Wife (Qamets by reason of the pause), Part, 
noun of Hiph., root Jfjj , •£f$a has a suff. pronoun (^-), and 
is in the plural. 

(14) I was well-nigh in all evil, in the midst of the assembly and 
of the congregation. 

tsegOf , almost, prope, or (as above) well-nigh. — In all evil, 
i. e. evil of every kind, or rather, the worst evil. — In the 
midst of the assembly, etc., who are here supposed to sur- 
round him, and to condemn and punish him by stoning him 
to death; for so were adulterers dealt with, Ezek. 16 : 40.— 
, counselling assembly, who had judicial power. — Here 
ends the lamentation. It is followed by counsel and caution, 



Part I— Chap. V. 15—18. 193 



such as, if obeyed, would save the repetition of the like evils 
and dangers. 

(15) Drink waters from thine own cistern, and flowing streams 
from thine own well. 

Figurative language is here employed to designate the 
demeanor of the young married man, who desires to live 
chastely and innocently. He must confine himself to his 
own lawful sources of enjoyment, and not go abroad in quest 
of other sources. — trt ti3 , Part, noun, designating flowing 
streams. The imagery is drawn from a well with a living 
spring, which sends forth streams of water. 

(16) Let [not] thy fountains issue forth abroad, thy water-brooks in 
the streets. 

The meaning of this, as it stands in the Heb. text, seems 
to be simply, that his water-sources are not to be confined to 
himself, but others also may have the enjoyment of them. 
Yet the very next verse contradicts this view. There seems 
to be no feasible way of solution left, except we adopt the 
reading of the Sept. and Aquila, who both prefix before 
sis&j , e. g. tiTj v7Z£Q8x%8('o&co. I have inserted this negative 
in brackets in the version. So De Dieu, Umbreit, and Ber- 
theau. Sentiment : 6 Guard well thy house against the 
approach of seductive persons.' 

(17) Let them be for thee alone, and not for strangers with thee. 

This confirms what has been said above. This cistern 
and these well-streams are to be his alone. — With thee, i. e. 
in common or in company with thee. 

(18) Let thy fountain be blessed, that thou mayest have joy from 
the wife of thy youth ; 

Blessed, viz., with children or offspring, so much the object 
of desire and joy in the East. — So the sequel : mayest have 
joy. The wife of his youth brings him children, which 

17 



194 



Part I— Chap. V. 19—22. 



makes him a joyful father. This would not take place, in 
case the husband sought after harlots. 

(19) A lovely liind and a graceful doe — let her breasts satiate thee 
at all times, with her love do thou continually inebriate thyself. 

The hind and doe are a continued description of the wife 
of youth, and in apposition with the latter. Or we may 
supply ijntn from 6 : 18. — Intoxicated ivith love is a common 
expression among us; and so with the Hebrews. The 
meaning is, that the chaste husband should find ample scope 
to satisfy his desires, when confining himself to the wife of 
his youth. It is not an exhortation to excessive venery, but 
merely a declaration, that in a chaste conjugal union there 
is ample means for the full satisfaction of reasonable con- 
jugal desires. — iiSWUSn means to stagger or reel as a man 
intoxicated, and is to be taken figuratively of course here, as 
designating ample enjoyment of love. 

(20) And why shouldest thou intoxicate thyself, my son, with a 
strange woman ; and embrace the bosom of a stranger ? 

The latter clause of the verse explains the former. The 
intoxicating passion of unlimited sexual desire, is what the 
writer means to describe. What need of this, when he has 
ample sources of enjoyment at home ? 

(21) For directly before the eyes of Jehovah are the ways of man ; 
yea, all his ways doth he ponder. 

PDb , coram, directly before ; of course, in fidl and plain 
view. This verse gives the reason why the remonstrative 
question of the preceding verse was asked : 6 Why shouldest 
thou do so, when Jehovah's eyes are upon thee, and he will 
bring thee to judgment ? ' 

(22) His iniquities shall ensnare him — the wicked; and by the 
cords of transgression he shall be held fast. 

In i^t^?* ? 5 is a demonstrative ending before the i , and 



Fart I— Chap. VI. 1. 



195 



the latter is a pronoun anticipaiive or pleonastic, which is 
explained by the noun that follows, § 119. 6. n. 3. — Senti- 
ment : 6 His wicked deeds will involve him in toils, and hold 
him fast for punishment/ 

(23) He shall die without instruction, and through the abundance 
of his folly shall he reel. 

The pronoun prefixed to the verb is emphatic. — 
Without instruction, i. e. because he refused to receive any, 
and through lack of it he now perishes. — fiaiL^ refers back 
to vs. 19, 20. There the husband has ample enjoyment of 
love, or is inebriated with it ; here the transgressor reels by 
reason of the fulness of the cup of retribution which he is 
compelled, like criminals about to die, to drink to the dregs. 

Vs. 15 — 23 are remarkable, in this book, for a continued 
series of tropical language. The delicate subject introduced 
is purposely clothed with this costume, in order to avoid 
anything which is unseemly in expression. 

Chap. VI. vs. 1—19. 

[Only vs. 1 — 19 of this chapter stand in mutual connection. Vs. 
20 — 35 belong to a theme which seems to comprehend the whole 
of 6: 20 — 9: 18; consequently, this part should have been joined to 
chap. vii. Here, vs. 1 — 19 are subdivided into four parts, viz. (a) 
Vs. 1—5. (b) 6—11. (c) 12—15. (d) 16—19. The first treats of 
becoming surety for the debts of others ; the second, of idleness or 
sloth ; the third, of crafty deceit ; the fourth, of seven things which 
Jehovah hates. 

In (a), comprising 1 — 5, warning is given against becoming en- 
snared by pledges of surety, and advice to hasten an accommodation 
in relation to them, by earnest efforts, in order that the person pledged 
may escape being sold into slavery, when he has no ability to redeem 
the pledge.] 

(1 ) My son, if thou art pledged for thy friend — hast shaken hands 
for a stranger ; 



196 



Part I— Chap. VI. 2, 3. 



The sentence is unfinished, and. is completed in the next 
verse, only so far as the protasis is concerned. The dtf , the 
sign of conditionally, is to be mentally carried forward 
through all the four clauses of vs. 1, 2. — fcJ^?J> given 
pledge, become surety, i. e. for the payment of another's debt ; 
and this, whether he be friend, 2^ , or enemy, It . The latter 
word has the article, because it distinguishes a specific class ; 
the former would have it, if the suffix did not prevent it, 
§ 108. 2. — To shake hands is both our gesture and expres- 
sion, in making unwritten contracts, even at the present 
time. The Hebrews said: Strike hands, i. e. bring them 
together with force. Both actions mean the same thing. 
Those who strike hands, upon a contract offered and 
accepted, agree mutually to abide by it. 

(2) [If] thou hast become ensnared by the words of thy month j 
art caught by th© words of thy mouth ; 

Both of these are plainly a part of the conditional protasis* 
For brevity's sake, neither Dtt nor *] is repeated before the 
three last clauses. This adds to the energy and force of 
the description* 

(3) Do this then, my son r and free thyself, for thou hast come into 
the power of thy friend ; go cast thyself down as a suppliant, and 
strongly urge thy friend. 

issin , Niph. reflexive, as often. - — Come into the power of 
thy friend, i. e. hast given him a right to enforce payment 
of the debt ensured, even by reducing thee to bondage. — 
SjSJ'n here is not the same as in v. 1, but the friend to whom 
(not for whom ) the pledge is given. — , lit. give up 

thyself to be trodden upon, i. e. prostrate thyself ; and here, 
plainly, in the way of supplication. — spsn is not plur., but 
sing, with suff. The original form of this is , and many 
nouns from roots tfb , preserve in the sing., before a suff., the 
original Yodh of the root, and thus take apparently the form 



Part I— Chap. VI. 4—8. 



197 



of the plural. See § 91. 9 ; and also a full illustration in 
Ewald, § 256. b. The two phases of the same word result 
merely from a difference in orthography. 

(4) Give not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids f (5) 
Tree thyself as a hind from the hand — even as a bird from the hand 
of the fowler. 

V. 4 warns against all inactivity and delay ; v. 5 presents 
the danger as such, that it should be speedily escaped. Of 
course, from the hand, in the first instance, is elliptical, of the 
hunter being spontaneously implied, according to the sugges- 
tion made by the next clause. Bertheau changes the reading, 
and puts in fi'SE , from the net, instead of ; and so Sept., 
Syr., and Targum. The sense is good ; but the change is 
unnecessary. 

(b) Verses 6—11. 

[Exhortation to diligence. The slothful man should go to the ant 
for instruction, who timely provides for herself, vs. 6 — 8. If he will 
not rouse up to action, then poverty and want will speedily destroy 
him, vs. 9—11.] 

(6) Go to the ant, thou sluggard, consider her ways, and be wise. 
(7) To her is no leader, overseer, or ruler. 

ttfch , see mentally, i. e. consider. — No overseer, etc., that 
is, the ant is not compelled by superiors to labor, but, from 
the love of diligent employment, she engages in it. Whether, 
as a matter of fact, the ants, like the bees, have their leaders, 
does not seem to be apprehended by the writer. He assumes 
the common opinion, viz. that they have none. 

(8) In summer, she prepares her food: at harvest-time, she has 
gathered her provender. 

In the early part of the summer, ■pg , she begins her work ; 
and when the harvest is cut down, T^S, she has already 
collected her store. Hence the second verb is in the Perf., 
to denote that the collection has been made antecedently to 
the harvesting. 

17* 



198 Part I— Chap. VI. 9—12. 



(9) How long, O sluggard, wilt thou lie down ! When wilt thou rise 
up from thy sleep ? 

■tfyb^Cg , until when, in reference to the time when sleeping 
shall end. In the second clause stands simply *tyn, in 
reference to the beginning of waking up. This and the 
following verse constitute a protasis, to which v. 11 is the 
apodosis. 

(10) A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to 
lie down. 

This presents the anticipated answer of the sluggard to the 
preceding questions. He begs longer quietude ; at least that 
he may have indulgence for a short period more. Both of 
the nouns, sleep and slumber, are in the plural, in order to 
denote the continuance or expansion of such a state, — plur. 
intensive. — Folding of the hands is the putting them into a 
state of inaction or of rest, and is preparatory to the quiet 
here desired. — Such is the anticipated answer of the sluggard. 
The consequences follow : 

(11) And then shall thy poverty come like a traveller, and thy want 
like a man of the shield. 

, and so shall come, § 152. B. a. 3, i. e. the *i is consec- 
utive or consequential. — > not simply as one who walks 
leisurely, for the Piel form denotes intensity ; therefore, as a 
courier, runner, etc., who moves rapidly. If a robber-traveller 
be meant, as many assert, then we might translate by high- 
wayman. — Man of the shield, i. e. one who is armed with a 
shield, and therefore a soldier or invading enemy. — Two 
things are denoted by this imagery ; ( a) That idleness will 
quickly bring poverty ; (b) That it will come as a destroyer. 

(c) Verses 12 — 15. 

[The vices here enumerated, are such as will bring sudden and 
irremediable destruction.] 

(12) A worthless man, a man of wickedness, goeth forth with a 
perverse mouth. 



Part I— Chap. VI. 13—15. 199 

Perhaps the true shape of the first clause is thus : A 
worthless man is a had man, i. e. being useless is being 

wicked. But on the whole, I rather incline to the climactic 
sense, as given in the version. Then the meaning of the 
verse stands thus: 'A very bad man is he, whose mouth 
habitually speaks perverse things or deceits.' — hsntfgs is the 
Acc. of manner, and may be regarded as qualifying the noun 
that follows, § 104. 1. n. 1. 

(13) He winketh with his eyes, he talketh with his feet, he maketh 
signs with his fingers. 

Here (as often in this book) the H of plurality before the 
suff. i in nouns, is left out in two cases. The Qeri has noted 
and corrected them. This, however, is a matter of indiffer- 
ence, as it changes not the manner of reading. All the modes 
of communication here described are characteristic of plotters 
and sly intriguers, who deal secretly in this way, in order 
that their words may not be adduced in testimony against 
them. — Maketh signs, is the original meaning of IrTia , Part. 
Hiph. of rnj , the 1 after a being omitted, because it is quies- 
cent. Every one's recollection will supply him with exam- 
ples of like doings among intriguers. 

(14) Perversions are in the heart of him who deviseth evil, who is 
ever stirring np contentions. 

That is, he is very perverse, etc., the plural of intensity being 
here plainly and significantly employed. — Stirring up con- 
tentions, viz. between neighbors and friends. — E^T? belongs, 
as to its vowels, to the Qeri dW*ra . The Kethibh should be 
pointed , hardly a form that needs correction, perhaps, 

for it reappears in v. 19, and is not there corrected. Here, 
the Imperf. follows (as often) in the sequel of a preceding 
participle. Both denote habitual action. 

(15) Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly ; he shall be dashed 
in pieces, and there will be no remedy. 



200 



Part I— Chap. VI. 16—19. 



Such is the consequence of perverse and fraudulent dealing, 
which rouses up strife. A remediless evil awaits it, which 
will come suddenly, and of course unexpectedly. 

(d) Verses 16—19. 
Seven evils are next specified, this being a favorite number, 
indicative of completion or fulness. They are not climactic, 
for some of the worse stand near the beginning. 

(16) These six things Jehovah hateth ; yea, seven are the abomina- 
tion of his soul. 

It is not unfrequent among the Hebrews to begin with one 
less than the full sum intended, and then to add that one as 
the sign of completion ; comp. Amos. 1: 3, 6, 9, 11, 13. 2: 1, 
4, 6. — I prefer the Kethibh into/iin , because the plural is 
intensive ; which is altogether apposite here. The enumera- 
tion follows : 

(17) Lofty eyes; a lying tongue; and hands shedding innocent 
blood ; (18) A heart devising plans of evil ; feet swift to run unto evil. 

Here, in y^rb , the b defines the purpose for which the feet 
are made swift. In , the h shows for what object this 
is done. The article, implied in h of the last word (== the 
evil), refers back to the preceding which is synonymous, 
so that this is virtually a case of repetition, § 107. pref. 
remarks. 

(19) Who breatheth forth falsehood — a lying witness — and stirreth 
up strife between brethren. 

JT'SJj Imperf. Hiph. of rrt&, here in a clause in which 
(he who) must of course be implied. We have a 
like expression : 6 He utters falsehood with every breath.' — 
Ig^ is in apposition with this implied "im , and explana- 
tory of it. The dash "in the version is designed to indicate 
this. — , Part, after the Imperf. ; often is such a sequency 
to be met with ; more often, however, the Part comes first, 
and then the Imperf. follows. Both denote customary action. 



Part I— Chap. VI. 20. 



201 



Chap. VI. 20—35. 

[As stated above, this belongs to a theme, which, in its full extent, 
occupies 6 : 20 — 9 : 1 8. This large portion, however, is subdivided 
into three parts: (1) Chap. 6 : 20— 35. (2) Chap. vii. viii. (3) Chap, 
ix. — As usual, the writer begins with an exhortation to hearken ; and 
then he adds promises of good in case of obedience, vs. 1 — 3. Lay 
hold of, and make thyself familiar with, parental admonition, saith he, 
and then it will guide and watch over thee, and be thy light, vs. 20— 
23. It will keep thee from temptations to defilement, v. 24. Lust not 
after beauty, for unchastity will impoverish thee, and adultery expose 
thee to the loss of life, vs. 25, 26. If a man takes fire into his bosom, 
his clothes will be burned : and burning coals will scorch the feet, vs. 
27, 28. So with the adulterer, v. 29. Even a thief, who steals to satisfy 
hunger, although he may not be despised, yet, if caught, will have to 
make ample retribution, vs. 30,31. An adulterer is destitute of reason, 
and suicidal ; he will incur disgrace not to be wiped away, vs. 32, 33. 
Jealousy is an outrageous passion, and will not be propitiated by any 
bribes, vs. 34, 35. 

Here the subject of 2 : 16 — 22 and 5 : 3 — 14 is again resumed, but it 
is presented in an attitude somewhat different. The whole being taken 
together, (and chap. vii. must also be specially joined with the present 
section), it seems to betoken compositions originally different, which 
were given out at different times. But here they are collected into 
one fasciculus. So far as we can judge from the style and manner of 
the pieces, they appear to come, at least they might come, from one 
and the same hand. They are not expressly ascribed to Solomon ; but 
the eulogies of wisdom, so often repeated in this part of the book, 
naturally turn our thoughts to him. And surely he had good reason 
to understand, and could well describe, the mischiefs of lascivious 
gratification. Possibly the pieces were written by other hands, and 
compiled by Solomon. In that case, it would be natural to speak of 
them as his. When we compare 10 : 1 — 22 : 16, expressly ascribed to 
Solomon, the kinds of composition, or subject (so to speak) is so dif- 
ferent, that there is hardly room to find analogies of style with any 
success. But, whoever wrote that portion of the book now before us s 
wrote what is palpably true ; and this is sufficient for our purpose.] 

(20) Keep, my son, the commandment of thy father, and forsake 
not the instruction of thy mother. 

Comp. 1: 8, where in substance the same formula is found. 



202 



Part I— Chap. VI. 21—24. 



(21 ) Bind them upon thy heart continually ; fasten them around 
thy neck. 

Comp. 3 : 3. Here the idea seems to be, that the com- 
mands are inscribed upon the ornaments, or the vestments, 
of the breast and throat. Meaning : ' Keep them carefully, 
and always make them conspicuous.' 

(22) When thou goest forth, it shall lead thee ; when thou liest 
down, it shall watch over thee : and when thou awakest, it shall com- 
mune with thee. 

The sing, here, it, refers to SYjsra of v. 20. — Sjrpton ? gov- 
erning the Acc. of the object which it affects, like 
divell with thee, as we must translate Ps. 5 : 5. The mean- 
ing is, that it will suggest to him themes of meditation in 
respect to a course of safe conduct. 

(23) For a torch is the command, and instruction a light, and a 
way of life is instructive admonitions. 

Torch and light are symbols of the clear and lucid teach- 
ing of parental care. — Instructive admonitions are called a 
way of life, because they point out the way and means of 
life. — A special design of these comes next into view. 

(24) To keep thee from the base woman, the stranger of flattering 
tongue. 

This seems, at first, to refer to a foreign prostitute. The 
latter part of the verse is so marked by the accents, that it 
should be rendered thus : from the flattery of the stranger 
tongue. But as we have woman, a concrete noun, in the first 
clause, it is hardly probable, that an abstract noun would 
correspond to it in the second. We may render npbn , then, 
as the const, fern, adj., from pbr\ , put in construction with 
)wb . In this case we may carry forward e to ; or 

(with the accentuators) we may dispose of it, by making it an 
adjective agreeing with (fern.) and translate thus: 

flattering with a foreign tongue. 



Part I— Chap. VI. 25, 26. 



203 



(25) Lust not after her beauty in thy heart ; let her not captivate 
thee with her eyelids. 

makes with a suff., itfjSP • — Eyelids here means the 
lashes of the eyelids, which the Hebrew women and others 
in the East adorned by coloring them with a dye, (TpS or 
stibium ), and making them more dark and strikingly defined. 
Great stress is laid on this, among female adornments in the 
East, even down to the present time. The eyebrow also is 
stained with it. Its aid in creating artificial and alluring 
beauty, is here plainly alluded to. 

(26) For by reason of a woman who playeth the harlot, [one 
cometh] to a piece of bread : and [another] man's wife hunts after 
the precious [life]. 

A verse of some difficulty, because it is elliptical. — To a 
piece of bread, is brachylogy, such as belongs to popular 
apothegms — like the Greek elg xooaxag ! Of course aisri , 
or some such word, is implied before this phrase ; as in the 
Greek above, ficelle is implied. — iTjif , a Participial, and 
translated above so as to retain its verbal sense. Meaning : 
6 A man comes to abject poverty by lavishing his money on 
harlots.' But a still greater evil is the concomitant of 
adultery. In this case, a man's life was forfeited, according 
to the Mosaic law, Deut. 22 :22, comp. Ezek. 16:40. — 
Meaning : 6 An adulteress allures to that which may cost a 
man his life, the price of his life.' I have inserted another 
in the version, merely to guard against mistake of the 
meaning. 

In this simple way, the crimes of fornication and adultery 
are compared, as to the respective evils which ensue. The 
first impoverishes, by demanding money as the purchase of 
her favors ; the second destroys what is far more valuable 
than money, viz., life. This makes the whole very signifi- 
cant. Bertheau and some others render thus : Since for a 
harlot, even a piece of bread, i. e. this is enough, or she will 



204 



Part I— Chap. VI. 27—30. 



be satisfied with this ; but the wife of a man will ensnare the 
precious [life]. But this is making the writer merely to 
say, that harlot-hire is very cheap, and the price of adultery 
very high. But against this is the fact, that the latter is not 
usually venal for money ; and also, that the moral tone of 
the verse is much lowered in this way. The writer sets 
himself against every kind of illicit intercourse, (see 5 : 15, 
seq.), and dissuades from it. The shape given to the text 
by Bertheau, wduld seem to imply no more than that a man 
can gratify his passions, at a much cheaper rate than adultery 
will cost. Is this to the writer's purpose ? — fTnj^ fern, of 
yg* 9 like rrprn and lins, is a tropical and affectionate 
designation or qualification of the soul or life. 

(27) Can a man take up fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be 
burned ? (28) Can a man walk on burning coals, and his feet not be 
scorched % 

, in the plur., is here employed as fern. ; as it some- 
times is, Ewald, § 174 d. jj. — wqisn, Imperf. Mph. third 
plur. fern., from rrj3 . These questions are too plain to need 
any answer. The close of the comparison follows therefore 
immediately : 

(29) So whoever approacheth the wife of his friend, shall not be 
innocent, not any one who toucheth her. 

If the last clause, (which now is brachylogy), were filled 
out, it would run thus : Every one who toucheth her [shall not 
be innocent.'] This I have briefly but virtually expressed 
in the version. 

(30) Men do not despise a thief, when he stealeth to satisfy his 
appetite, because he is hungry. 

Imperf., marking customary action. Men have 
regard to the temptation of such a man, and look on his 
fault with a feeling of pity. Here the first ^ = when ; the 
second = because. 



Part I— Chap. VI. 31—35. 205 



(31) But when caught, he must render a recompense seven-fold; 
all the wealth of his house shall he give. 

In Ex. 22 : 1, a jive-fold restitution is enjoined. The 
seven here designated has therefore the usual figurative 
meaning of seven, i. e. ample, complete. In aggravated 
cases, doubtless the mulct would extend to all his little 
property. 

(32) He that committeth adultery with a woman, lacketh under- 
standing 5 he who will destroy his own life, even he doeth this . 

Both participles here, as often elsewhere, imply their own 
subjects or Nom. cases, viz., he who or whoever. — is 
emphatic, and is so translated. — iT|j§32 , will do it, viz., the 
adulterous deed. It implies, that only such as lack under- 
standing will act in this suicidal manner. 

(33) Stripes and shame shall he meet with, and his reproach shall 
not be blotted out. 

This presents the least punishment that can follow the 
crime in question ; but even this at best is but a sad alter- 
native of the other. 

(34) Eor jealousy makes an enraged man ; and he will not spare in 
the day of revenge. 

•"Daman , lit. is the rage of a man ; the version gives the 
substance of the idea, in conformity with our own idiom. 
The adulterer may count upon the vengeance of the injured 
and enraged husband. 

(35) He will accept of no ransom: he will not yield, when thou 
shalt make large the bribe. 

, lit. lift up the face, i. e. to make one to look up 
with courage and hope. The contrary is : His countenance 
fell, i. e. he looked sad and stern. Here it is tropically used 
for accepting. No ransom will cause him to pass by the 
offence. — ^nir is the bribe offered for propitiation ; but in 
vain, for he will not yield to the offer, ivill not consent to it. 

18 



206 



Part I— Chap. VII. 1. 



Chap. VII. Introduction. 

This is surely a vivid picture of the evils connected with the crime 
in question. Especially does the writer bear hard upon the adulterer; 
whom he considers as much the most guilty. The punishment of 
death by the magistrate, when the crime is fully detected, or the ven- 
geance inflicted by jealousy, is set forth in colors adapted to deter 
men devoted to illicit enjoyments from their pursuit, if they would 
but duly contemplate the consequences. 

Chap. VII. 1—27. 

[The great danger to which the crime of adultery exposes one, has 
been set forth in strong colors. The writer now proceeds, in the way 
of forewarning, to set forth the alluring and deceitful arts practised 
by the adulteress (see vs. 19, 20), in order to inveigle and mislead the 
unwary youth. Forewarned, forearmed. If he gives diligent heed to 
the words of the faithful monitor, he may learn to shun the ways of 
crime and destruction. As usual, at the outset he is exhorted to 
hearken, and to impress deeply on his heart what is said, vs. 1 — 5. 
The remainder of the chapter is occupied with graphically describing 
the demeanor and wanton actions of the enticing adulteress.] 

(1) My son, keep my sayings, treasure up my commands with thee. 
(2) Keep my commands, and thou shalt live ; and let my instruction 
be as the pupil of thine eye. 

rpfil , Imper. in the sequel after another Imper. = Imperf. 
2d person, § 127. 2, comp. in 4: 4. — lit. little man 

of the eye, has reference to the reflected image of a man, 
seen in the pupil of that organ. The Greeks called it xoqt] 
or xoodaiov, damsel or little damsel; the Latins, pupa or 
pupilla, of the same meaning; and so our English word 
pupil means of course the same, for it is merely the Latin 
word pupilla abridged. — As to the last clause, keep (from 
the first clause) might be mentally inserted before instruc- 
tion ; and this would be normal exegesis. Equally well 
here, however, does the implied copula-verb answer the pur- 



Part I-Chap. VII. 3-5. 



207 



pose, as in the version. In either case, the meaning is : 
6 Let my instruction be watchfully guarded or kept, as one 
guards the sight of his eyes.' Comp. 3:3. 6:21. 

(3) Bind them on thy fingers ; inscribe them on the tablet of thine 
heart. 

D^d£ , bind them, masc. pronoun, referring to in v. 1 ; 
and so of the next verb and suffix. — On thy fingers, refers 
to rings with large signets, on which were inscribed some 
weighty sentences or maxims ; as in later days, and more at 
large, on the phylacteries. — Transcribe them on the tablet of 
thine heart, expresses the deep and abiding characters in 
which the precepts should be written, so that they can 
neither be lost nor erased. 

(4) Say to wisdom : My sister art thou ; and call understanding a 
familiar acquaintance. 

That is, cultivate habits of the most endearing intimacy 
with, and friendship for, wisdom and understanding. . — rn£ 
in Pause, for tntf , second pers. fern, pronoun. The Dagh. in 
ft final is a compensative sign of the 5 which is assimilated ; 
for the full form would be ftptf . When the word is written 
in the abridged form, (as in our text), the ft still remains, 
because the Dagh. virtually represents another letter before 
this ft , as the full form shows. — (= yjis ) is a Hoph. 
Part., here used as a noun concrete ; for acquaintance here 
designates a person, as in our English usage. — The true 
meaning is given above in the version. 

Next comes a cogent reason why so much attention and 
care should be given to the acquisition of wisdom and 
understanding. 

( 5 ) In order to keep thee from the strange woman, from the stranger 
who flattereth with her words. 

The last clause being a relative one, itiat is implied before 
the verb ttg^rjrt in Hiphil. — in the Acc. ; lit. who 



208 



Part I— Chap. VII. 6—8. 



maheth smooth her words. — That there is good reason for 
such keeping or restraint, is now shown, in the sequel. It 
begins therefore with a ^3 causal. 

(6) For through the window of my house, through the lattice-work, 
I looked. 

, window-slats, like our Yenitian blinds, made to keep 
out the sun and rain, and let in the air. The word is a 
formative of Pilel., Dec. viii. — ^Jnag^p , Niph., (in Pause), 
because Kal is not in use ; lit. I stooped myself, i. e. took the 
attitude of stooping, in order to look attentively. 

( 7 ) That I might see among the simple, and observe among the 
sons, a lad destitute of understanding. 

itfTOI , voluntative, (not and Isaiv, but that I might see ), as 
shown by the following ftp's*} , whose paragogic ft- denotes 
the voluntative, § 48. 3. For the Qamets in ^i, see § 102. 2. d. 

, first pers. of Imperf. Kal, from ft&'i , in the apoc. form, 
where short Hhireq of the praeformative goes over into 
Tseri ; see § 74. Note 3. b. In this class of verbs, what is 
effected by ft- paragogic elsewhere, is here effected by 
apocope. Hence the voluntative meaning. If the simple 
idea — / saw — were here meant, then we should have 
iiH^Jsy . — Imperf. voluntative, without the 1 conj. 

being written, although it is mentally carried forward from 
the preceding verb, and makes the verb voluntative. 

(8) He was passing in the street near her corner, and treading the 
way to her house. 

Her corner, i. e. a corner of the streets where she was 
wont to go, that she might meet with and decoy paramours. 
— TOi3 appears to have to j5S for its root. In Arabic, this root 
means to divide. — The wag to her house may be rendered 
the way of her house. Our idiom gives preference to the first 
mode of expression. 



Part I— Chap. VII. 9—12. 209 



(9) In the twilight — at evening — of the day, in the midst of the 
night, even the thick darkness. 

S)tt53 , lit. in the breeze of the night, i. e. the time when the 
cool wind begins to blow ; comp. Gen. 3:8. — ^2 is the 
evening after the sun has set. — jiEj^fij: (as in v. 2) is lit. 
pupil of the eye ; but as that is in the centre or middle of 
the eye, so it designates here the middle of the night, i. e. 
midnight, when the darkness was greatest ; but as the mode 
of expression is unusual, its meaning is made plain, by the 
epexegetical clause ?bt>^ . 

(10) And lo ! a woman — in order to meet him, in the attire of a 
harlot, and wary of mind. 

nutf , in the sense of attire, is not common ; but it is found 
also in Ps. 73 : 6. Bertheau puts ny.i mho in apposition 
with JTOfc* , = a woman — a harlot-dress ; meaning, by the 
last two words, to designate the woman herself. But this 
is not an easy or inviting construction. I take it to be 
simply the Acc. of manner ; as rendered in the version — 
»2&| , fern. Part, in const, state, has been much controverted. 
But without any good reason ; for watchful, wary, guarded 
of mind, appropriately describes such a wily personage. 

(11) Noisy is she, and refractory; her feet abide not in her own 
house. 

Hj»h , Part. Pres. fern of rrart , noisy, bustling about, in- 
stead of staying quietly at home. — WVjb, Part. fern, in 
Pause, refractory or contumacious, as to the rules of order 
and decorum in her husband's house. Hence the sequel : 
Her feet abide not at home, the place for modest women. 

(12) Now abroad, and then in the wide streets ; and near to every 
corner she lurketh. 

This is descriptive of her conduct, while she is hunting 
for her prey. Finding it not in one place, she goes to 
another. 

18* 



210 Part I-Chap. VII. 13—15. 



(13) And she caught hold of him, and kissed him ; she made up an 
impudent face, and said to him : 

The description being finished, the narrative recommences. 
— ntrn , Hiph. from m . We should expect to find a Dagh. 
form in the t . Normally this would be so. But when the 
final syllable, in such a case, is toneless, (as here, the accent 
being on the penult), the doubling is in a goodly number of 
cases omitted; see § 66. n. 11, and also Ewald, § 193. b. 
§ 63. b. Lit. it runs thus : made strong her face ; which 
however has the meaning given above. — What she said, in 
order to lure her prey, now follows ; and the address is 
dexterously managed. 

(14) Peace-sacrifices are due from me ; to-day I fulfil my vows. 

, lit. on me, i. e. they are on me as a duty to be per- 
formed, or the obligation lies on me to make the offerings ; 
a sense frequently conveyed by , Lex. A. 1. a. y. The 
offerings here named are those of thanksgiving and joy, on 
account of blessings received. Of such offerings the guests 
partook in part ; so that a rich feast is here virtually set 
before the simpleton, under the garb of a religious usage. 
The pretence is, that she had before bound herself by vows, 
to make the offerings in question. This therefore is repre- 
sented to be a lucky day for the invited guest. Umbreit 
thinks there is no good evidence of a feast-meal on such 
occasions; but see Lev. 7: 13 — 17. For the peace-offerings 
themselves, see Lev. 3:1, seq. For vow-offerings, see Deut. 
23:22. Ps. 50:14. Ecc. 5 : 3, 4. 

(15) Therefore have I come forth to meet thee ; to seek diligently 
thy face, that I might find thee. 

"ittttft , in Piel, and therefore with an augmented force, which 
is expressed in the version above. The Guttural n excludes 
the Daghesh. For J before the last word, see § 152. B. e. 



Part I— Chap. VII. 16—18. 211 



(16) With coverlets have I strowed my couch, with tapestry of 
Egyptian thread. 

means the coverlet, and ^Frtin the action of spread- 
ing it on the couch. The 3 of the noun should normally 
have a Dagh. lene ; but it seems to be left Raphe or soft 
here, seemingly in order to imitate the sound of the verb 
^S^ t = "r^\ , and having the same meaning. It is written in 
the same way (Raphe) in Prov. 31: 22. It indicates, in 
this case, merely a softening of the 1 so as to resemble the 
i . Why ? is a question which only the Masorites of ancient 
times could well answer. At all events, the orthography is 
abnormal. — Wbtjh , striped stuffs ; i. e. tapestry, which was 
usually figured or striped by the aid of needlework. The 
corresponding Arabic verb (^n) means : to be particolored. 
— Egyptian thread, doubtless means fine thread or yam, 
either of cotton or flax. To speak of the tapestry in this 
way, conveyed a meaning of like import with our phrase- 
ology, when we speak of a Turkish carpet, meaning the best 
of carpeting. 

(17) I have sprinkled my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon. 

The last three nouns are in the second Ace, which indi- 
cates here the means employed, or the instrument, etc. The 
spices named were costly and favorite ones in the East; 
comp. Ps. 45 : 8. — ^nss from Spa . Of course, the liquid 
extract from these spices is meant ; for the substances them- 
selves would hardly be commodious for sprinkling. 

(18) Come, then, let us take our fill of love until the morning, let 
us enjoy ourselves in amorous delight. 

hsfl*, from t£ Imp. of tjij, the hortative form. The 
plur. tarn and also d^tta , are plur. intensive, i. e. they aug- 
ment the force of the words. Plainly the plur. here is not 
one of abstraction. — ftdbSna , Hithp. of and hortatory ; 
the word is a weakened form of . The verb having 



212 



Part I— Chap. VII. 19—22. 



here a reflective sense, a preposition (s) is inserted after it, 
in order to govern the noun and express more fully the 
instrumentality. The article (involved in S) is employed in 
the way of speciality, i. e. delights appropriate to the nature 
of the case. 

(19) For the man is not at home, he has gone a long journey. 

irpM , lit. in his house — the Heb. mode of saying: at 
home. — T2r»aii , the man, i. e. the master of the house. — 

• T ' 

Tj'n'T, way, and trop. journey. — pirTTQ, distant, lit. of or be- 
longing to distance, of far away. It might mean from a 
distance, but then a verb of returning, or the like, must 
precede it. 

(20) A purse of money hath he taken in his hand ; on the day of 
the full moon he will return home. 

Return home, lit. enter his house. — The purse of money 
intimates a long delay, one which he expects will be attended 
with expense. 

(21) She turneth him aside by the abundance of her speech; she 
forceth him along by her smooth talk. 

itntsii = sinnan , fern. Perf. Hiph. of ftW , with sufF. — 
ngi> usually means doctrine, but here it is = taking or persua- 
sive words. — Smooth talk, lit. smoothness of her lips. Lips 
is to be taken tropically, as designating what the lips utter y 
i. e. talk. 

(22) He that goeth after her, will speedily go as an ox to the slaugh- 
ter, yea, as to a foot-chain for the chastisement of a fool. 

Tjbifi here does not seem to refer specifically to the indi- 
vidual of v. 7, but to any and every one, who is led 
away. The Part, involves its own indefinite Nom., i. e. 
whoever. Speedy mischief ensues; and evil that is una- 
voidable and disgraceful ; for the ox cannot escape his fate, 
and the chain disgraces and renders powerless the fool. I 



Part I— Chap. VII. 23—25. 



213 



have, in my version, carried forward h& before ft2Sa, to the 
noun . 

(23) (Until an arrow shall pierce through his liver); even as a 
bird hasteneth to the snare, and knoweth not that it is for his life. 

STn fcfel , hioiveth not, may be applied to the bird rushing 
heedlessly into the snare. — The last two verses are, as 
they strike us, somewhat involved and apparently defective. 
V. 23 has three clauses, the first of which seems to belong 
to something which should precede, i. e. either to the last 
clause of v. 22, or to something dropped from the text. 
There are three comparisons of the simpleton here ; (1) To 
an ox going to the slaughter-bench. (2) To a criminal 
chained by the feet in order to punish him and to prevent 
escape. (3) To a bird hastening heedlessly into a snare. 
The simpleton, like the latter, knows not that his life is in 
danger, and therefore rushes on. Interpreters disagree 
about the detail of the passage ; and, in like manner, the 
ancient versions, Sept., Syr., Chald., give involved and diffi- 
cult meanings ; which shows, either that they had a text 
before them different from the present, or else that they 
assigned to the text, vowels different from the present Maso- 
retic ones. That the text has in some way been disturbed, 
seems quite probable from the fact of its present abnormal 
condition. But I shall make no attempt to amend it, for 
this must be done by mere conjecture. The general mean- 
ing of the two verses is quite plain : 6 Unexpected evils will 
speedily come upon the adulterer.' 

(24) And now, children, hearken to me ; listen to the words of my 
mouth. (25) Let not thine heart turn aside to her ways 5 do not 
wander in her paths. 

I3\r>^ hortative form of ttttfo , Kal. Imperf. ; see § 74. n. 3. c. 
— SftPi , same form (but of 2d person) from ii^fi , § 74. n. 
3. b. c. — This is a general conclusion and deduction, in 
respect to the whole matter as already represented. 



214 



Part I— Chap. VII. 26, 27. 



(26) For many are the slain which she hath cast down; even mighty 
men are all her slain. 

I take the exact shape of the Hebrew to be as in the ver- 
sion, because t^sn is placed first, and therefore becomes (as 
usual) a predicate of the sentence. The sense is at all events • 
virtually given in the version. — ri^SsJi , Hiph. of l&j. — In 
the second clause, the Hebrew runs thus : even the mighty 
are all her slain, i. e. she slays all of them who go in unto 
her, but not all the mighty among men. The appeal is on 
this wise : 6 If even the mighty are destroyed by her, how 
can the mere youngling expect to come off with impunity ? ' 

(27) Her house is the way to the under-world, going down to the 
chambers of death. 

Lit. the ways of Sheol, i. e. the way par excellence, the 
plur. of intensity. 6 He who goes to her house, goes' assur- 
edly in the way to Sheol,' — is the meaning. — t"ii fc fii t i , Part. 
Pres. plur., and fern. ; for (with which it agrees) is of the 
common gender, and so may have a fern, participle, as here. 
— Chambers of death, (i. e. of the dead, abstract for con- 
crete), has reference to lodging-places built in under-ground 
tombs, for the reception of the dead. 

Thus concludes this grave and earnest warning against 
adulterous intercourse. To see its full force, one must re- 
flect that, by the Mosaic law, the adulterer could be put to 
death, John 8 : 5. Deut. 22 : 22. Ezek. 16 : 40. Hence the 
propriety of holding up the terrors of death before the per- 
son inclined to commit the offence in question. Punishment 
in a future world is rarely brought directly before our view, 
in the Old Testament. 

Chap. VIII. 1—36. 

[A course directly the opposite to that of the adulterous woman, 
does Wisdom pursue, in order to gain her adherents. She seeks no 



Part I— Chap. VIII. 



215 



covert in darkness, but makes her invitations in a public manner, 
and in the most frequented places, v. 1 — 3. She addresses men, even 
the simple and foolish, and entreats them to hear the excellent truths 
which she proclaims, because they are all just and plain and upright, 
vs. 4 — 9. Her instruction is worth more than silver or gold, or pre- 
cious stones, vs. 10, 11. She has sagacity and knowledge, and declares 
the fear of God to be hatred of evil, and that she abhors pride and 
perverseness of heart, vs. 12, 13. She has at her disposal such coun- 
sel and skill, that kings and princes rule through her assistance, vs. 
14 — 16. She loves those who seek her, and bestows on them enduring 
wealth and honor, vs. 17, 18. Better than all wealth is her fruit; for 
she walks in the way of justice and of right. She will fill their coffers 
with her treasures, v. 21. As to her exceeding excellence and worth, 
and her claims to be heard, they are exhibited by showing, that she is 
employed by Jehovah himself as his agent. Even before the earth 
was founded, from the very beginning ; when there were no depths or 
fountains of water ; before the mountains and hills ; before the earth 
was made, and its elevations ; when the heavens were established and 
the abyss limited ; when the clouds were stationed above, and the 
fountains of the abyss below were made firm ; when the bounds of the 
waters were established, and the foundations of the earth ; even then 
wisdom was with God and near him ; she was his delight, and always 
rejoiced before him : and she has continued to rejoice in the last and 
best work of creation, the world of mankind, vs. 19 — 31. Finally, 
she exhorts men to listen to her, because all who seek earnestly after 
her will be made happy, and obtain favor from God. But those who 
sin against her, destroy their own life, vs. 32 — 36. 

Thus ends this splendid piece of composition. The personification 
of Wisdom 5 the giving to her a place in the divine counsels and 
operations ; and the description of her aid in constructing the mani- 
fold and magnificent structures of the natural world, afford a beautiful 
specimen of sublime and impassioned allegory, similar in many 
respects, (but not in all), to the sublime description of the Logos in 
John 1 : 1—18. 

It is well known, that nearly all the ancient and most of the mod- 
ern expositors, have found here the same personage as the Logos in 
John i. They supposed that John took this chapter as the basis and 
model of his description of the Logos ; and they seem not to hesitate 
in declaring, that the divine Logos is in reality here designated by 
Solomon. And yet the two cases are in some respects widely differ- 
ent. The Logos was not only with God. but was God; by him all 



Part I— Chap. VIII. 



things without exception were created ; not by him as a mere instru* 
merit, but in his proper capacity as God. He became incarnate, also, 
and lived and acted among men. He was therefore a proper person, 
a real ens per se, and not a mere attribute or quality. But nothing like 
this is here said of Wisdom. Being personified, she must of course be 
spoken of in a personal way. But we must see what is ascribed to her, 
before we can determine whether she is a concrete agent, or only an 
attribute personified. The task of distinguishing is not difficult. Wis- 
dom is not asserted to be God. She is something which Jehovah 
possessed, or rather created, (which primarily means, v. 22) ; she is 
not Jehovah himself. Tropically of course is fi3 JJ to be understood 
for, as a divine attribute, she was not literally created. But the man- 
ner of expression shows, that she cannot be God himself, or the eter- 
nal Logos who is God. When all his creative acts and his arrange- 
ments of the universe were performed and made (vs. 24 — 29), even 
before these began (v. 23), she was anointed to her office of counsellor 
(v. 23) ; she was near him in all his creative doings (i^Stf , v. 30), i. e. 
she stood by, as his ready counsellor and instrumentality. She was 
his special delight, and his faithful confidant (*ji73^) ? v. 30. Here the 
allegory, which personifies, represents her as a counsellor and instru- 
mental aider in the work of creation, installed in that high office before 
the world began, vs. 22 23, 30. The obvious meaning is : 'In wisdom 
has God made all his works ; ' — like what the Psalmist says, in Ps. 
104 : 24. Omnipotence without wisdom, would be an object of un- 
speakable terror. But wisdom, whose every essence it is to choose the 
best ends and the best means of accomplishing them, is the leading devel- 
opment of a benignant creative power. Hence the importance here 
attached to wisdom, in her highest manifestations. Of unspeakable 
dignity and worth she must be ; and therefore ought highly to be 
regarded by men. But as to a real personality, there is nothing here 
that leads us properly to the belief of this. Indeed, the representation is 
incompatible with this, when considered in its true light, viz., that of 
allegorical poetry. Wisdom is not God, but that which God possesses, 
and in which he greatly delights, v. 30. 

One beautiful touch finishes this admirable picture. It is, that 
wisdom, from the beginning, looked forward with joyful anticipation 
to the world of mankind, made in the image of God, and capable of 
enjoying him forever. No wonder the ancient Fathers of the church 
found here that Wisdom, which pitied and saved our perishing race. 
But the Logos, as God, had that wisdom, and those joyful anticipa- 



Part I— Chap. VIII. 1—3. 217 



tions. Because both the Logos and Wisdom concur, in regard to the 
matter before us, in the same end or object, it is not necessary to con- 
ceive of them simply as one and the same. The Logos is plainly not 
an attribute but a person. Wisdom did not, like him, become incarnate. 
Plainly, therefore, Wisdom is not a real person, but an attribute poeti- 
cally personified.] 

(1) Doth not wisdom call? Doth not understanding utter her 
voice ? 

A question asked by implies, that an affirmative an- 
swer is certain : like the interrog. ov in Greek. — 'jinsn , give 
forth = utter. 

(2) On the summit of the high places by the way- side, in the midst 
of the highways, she takes her stand. 

ta^Htt j lofty eminences of any kind, which of course are 
conspicuous. — ilg , lit. over against, i. e. by the side of the 
way. — f^5, within or in the midst of Lex. rrca, No. 6. 
Some, (and so Umbreit), render rv^s by house ; then, house 
of the paths, they say, means a house on the corner, where 
the highways meet and cross each other. But Wisdom here 
is represented as going into public places, in order to give 
out her invitations ; of course, we should not put her into a 
house. The idea of the first clause is, that of high eminences 
on the side of the way ; of the second, that she not only 
makes proclamation there, but also among the throng, i. e. 
in the midst of the highway. — i"^?? ? Niph. reflex., stations 
herself. 

(3) Near the gates, at the opening of the city, at the entrance of 
the avenues, she makes proclamation. 

These different descriptions are not synonymous, for they 
distinguish different locations at the city-gates = within 
them, and on each side of them. Of course, crowded places 
are designated. — ?Tpri , prob. third fern. sing. Imperf. ; see 
on 1: 20, where this anomalous form is accounted for; it 
being the same in appearance as the third fern, plural. 

19 



218 



Part I— Chap. VIII. 4—9. 



(4) Unto you, 0 men, I call, and my voice is unto the sons of men. 
(5) Ye simple, understand sagacity; and ye fools, understand 
discretion. 

hn*-® , sagacity ; but the word has here a good sense = 
prudent foresight ; it may, when the context demands, have 
a bad one = artful cunning. — , tropically wisdom, cau- 
tious prudence ; for sVVk d*RB means to consider, ponder. 

(6) Hear, for I will speak plain things; and the opening of my lips 
shall be uprightness. 

The root of d^irt ("755) means to he conspicuous or mani- 
fest. Wisdom declares, that what she utters is manifest, i. e. 
that it is plain and intelligible, — The opening of my lips = 
my words. — Uprightness, i. e. without any duplicity, in 
honest sincerity. 

(7) For my palate meditateth truth, and the abomination of my 
lips is falsehood. 

Palate meditateth means, that the palate, which is em- 
ployed in speaking, carefully weighs and considers what it 
is about to utter. Of course, the mode of expression is 
tropical. — As 9Eh here stands opposed to in»8| , it must 
mean specifically falsehood ; and so I have translated, i. e. 
ad sensum. 

(8) All the words of my mouth are uprightness ; there is in them 
nothing deceitful or perverse. 

In p^SS we have a Beth essentiae ; therefore it is = up- 
rightness ; see on this 2, the remarks on 0 : 26. 

(9) All of them are easy to understand, and plain are they to those 
who possess understanding. 

I understand d^fiba here in a sense like to that of d^naa 
in v. 6. m$ means to be before one's eyes, of course to be 
visible, or plainly to be seen. So ^ (d^ia?) is sometimes 
joined with Tft-J , in order to denote a way straight and plain; 



Part I— Chap. VIII. 10—12. 



219 



Lex. , No. 2. The writer had just said, that his words 
were not tortuous or perverted ; for if so, they would mislead, 
and could not be easily understood. Here he says, that all 
of them are made plain and straight. But the two plural 
nouns may be rendered upright and just. This rendering is 
adopted by Bertheau, because, as he says, there is a contrast 
with the deceitful and perverse of the preceding context. 
But this contrast is equally conspicuous in the version above. 
The ideas which Bertheau and others suggest, have already 
been often repeated in the preceding context. Either method 
of interpreting, however, can be made out grammatically. 

(10) Eeceive my instruction and not silver: and knowledge rather 
than choice gold. (11) For wisdom is better than pearls, and all 
precious things will not compare with her. ~ 

, things desirable y.az Qoyjiv, therefore precious. — 
, Imperf. of fra with 1 consonant. Comp. v. 19 and 
3 : 14, for the sentiment. 

(12) I, wisdom, dwell with prudence, and a knowledge of skilful 
plans do I obtain. 

ftXTO , prudential sagacity here. — Divell with prudence — 
the Heb. is stronger, viz. inhabit prudence, i. e. prudent 
sagacity is her dwelling-place ; which signifies, that in all 
things she stands intimately connected with it, and has her 
stable abode and defence in it. — SnisatE is something which 
is often thought upon or revolved in the mind, which stands 
connected with the formation of well-considered plans. It 
may have a bad sense, viz. plots, devices. But here, it is 
clearly employed in a good sense. — , obtain, as often. 
The first verb and the second, although in different tenses, 
both convey the idea of an enduring present. So they are 
often employed, § 124, 3. § 125, 2. The object of the writer 
is not to make wisdom and prudence co-equals ; but to show 
that wisdom ever exercises a prudential and preserving care, 
that she never forsakes the society of prudence. The latter 



220 



Part I— Chap. VIII. 18—16. 



is here presented, as if it were the dwelling in which wisdom 
lives. It is a somewhat singular, but a strong metaphor, to 
express the idea of constant and intimate connection. 

(13) The fear of Jehovah is hatred of evil — of pride, and haughti 
ness, and the way of evil : and a mouth which is perverse do I hate. 

W&fij , Inf. const, as a noun, the 1 being omitted, see Lex 
Several verbs &h form their Inf. with m- , like verbs fib, § 73. 
n. 2. — iSl ti&% , in the Gen. after the same Inf. noun imrjlied, 
the three nouns being in apposition with the preceding sn-. 
So I have translated. — Perverse mouth, lit. a mouth of per- 
versities, intensive plur. = very perverse, or habitually per- 
verse. 

(14) Mine is counsel and sound discretion; as for me, my might is 
understanding. 

What is here affirmed of wisdom, is preparatory to what 
follows. These are the qualities which are necessary in 
order to rule well. Bertheau inclines to make "Oa a virtual 
Dat. = *b , and so to render as follows : Mine is understand- 
ing, mine power. The sense is good, and perhaps it is the 
true one ; but the Heb. text, as it now is, will hardly bear 
this, since the pronoun stands first. The version above 
seems to give a more exact shape of the text. For the senti- 
ment which it gives, comp. Ecc. 9:16: " Wisdom is better 
than strength." So our text : " Wisdom is true strength." 

(15) By me kings reign, and princes decree justice. (16) Byrne 
princes rule, and nohles — all the magistrates of the earth. 

By me, i. e. by my aid. The different classes of rulers 
are here exhibited, in order to show that all are, or should 
be under the guidance of wisdom ; at any rate, are under her 
control. — d^B&ii is generic here, and embraces all magis- 
trates. Of course, by reigning, etc., is meant, that the govern- 
ing is as it should be, i. e. a proper method of ruling, which, 
without wisdom, is impracticable. 



Part I— Chap. VHL 17—21. 221 



(17) I love those who love me ; and those who earnestly seek me, 
shall find me. 

^3$ is emphatic, and so placed first.— The Kethibh should 
be pointed thus, iT^hjK, i. e. those who love her ; but the 
Qeri reads, ^55"^ ? those who love me, which best accords with 
the fashion of the sequel. sria , contract form of a<i!*8 , § 67, 
2. § 23. 2. a ; for the first pers. of the Imperf., in verbs a £ , 
drops the of the root. Qamets, because of the pause. — 
^rtra Part. plur. of Piel, with suff. — ^3- written fully, 
without the usual Dagh. forte in the last 3, § 57. 4. This 
mode of writing happens seldom out of this book. 

(18^ Eiches and honor are with me; enduring wealth and pros- 
perity. 

With me, i e. in my possession and at my disposal. — 
Enduring wealth, in opposition to the usual, fleeting worldly 
riches. — here means the fruits of righteousness, i. e. 
prosperity, happiness, salus, see Lex. No. 4. The context 
renders this shade of meaning the most probable. 

(19) My fruit is better than native gold — than purified gold ; and 
my revenue, than choice silver. 

Gold and fine gold, in our English version, fail to give the 
shade of the ideas communicated by Y*Hn and tb. 

(20) I walk in the way of righteousness, in the midst of the paths 
of equity. 

T^iHtf , Piel, which, in this verb, has sometimes the same 
meaning as Kal, but here Piel denotes habitual walking. This 
declaration is here introduced for the purpose that follows : 

(21) To cause those who love me to inherit substance; yea, their 
treasuries will I fill. 

As the Inf. VfiSttb here stands between two Imperfects of 
the first pers., it may be translated : / will cause, etc., in 
conformity with the Hebrew idiom ; see on 2 : 2, 8. Some 
19* 



222 



Part I— Chap. VIII. 22. 



difficulty has been made about tf; , by those who make a 
verb of it. They join it with Tsrfa, and translate thus : who 
are my lovers. But then ^ must precede, in such a case, 
and not follow ; and again, the verb b^mri would be left 
without an object, when one is demanded. The noun jjg 
here means substantial good, i. e. that which endures. 

Here, all the promises, as usual in the Old Testament, 
seem to be like those in the Pentateuch, viz. promises of 
temporal good. Yet this good is to be rendered more secure 
and lasting, than is usual. 

We now come to the animated and noble personification of Wisdom. 
From the beginning, she has been the counsellor and confidant (so to 
speak) of the Creator of heaven and earth ; and like him, she rejoices 
evermore in the happiness of man, made in his image. The language 
is exceedingly bold, and almost adventurous. But still, we must 
remember that we are reading animated and glowing poetry, and not 
simple didactic prose. 

(22) Jehovah created me, the firstling of his way, before his works, 
long ago. 

Assuming that Wisdom, in this chapter, is the same as the 
Logos of John, many ancient and modern expositors have 
contended strongly here for rendering the clause with 
by Jehovah possessed me. So the Yulgate, Luther, and many 
others. But the Sept. gives exiice, created ; and so the Chald. 
and Syriac. Recent commentators, generally, I believe, side 
with the latter. The theological disputes of Arian times 
called into action all possible effort to defend the same inter- 
pretation which is given in the Vulgate version, possedit me, 
on the part of the Trinitarians ; for they believed Wisdom 
and the Logos to be one and the same. If Wisdom, (allow- 
ing this last position of theirs), ivas created, then, thought the 
Orthodox, a decisive advantage is given to Arius, who main- 
tained the creation of the Logos or Son of God. Therefore 
possessed me was the meaning given by the anti-Arians. It 
is plain that this would help their cause, since it would show, 



Part I— Chap. vm. 22. 



223 



that before the mundane creation began, Jehovah already 
possessed the Wisdom in question, and therefore it must, as 
they averred, be eternal. But as the assumption of a proper 
person here, such as the Logos was, is clearly against the 
tenor of the whole piece, we need not be bound by any of 
their scruples or fears. Philology, at all events, must have 
its proper place, independent of party views. — 1hd£ , then, 
means originally, to erect any thing, to set it up or make it 
steadfast. As naturally flowing from this, come the mean- 
ings : to create, to found, exemplified in Deut. 32 : 6. Psalms 
139 : 13. Gen. 14 : 19, 22. Moreover, the Arabic (nap) 
means to create. Then come the derived meanings : pre- 
pare, acquire ; and lastly, to acquire by purchase, i. e. to buy. 
But the simple sense of possedit, as given by the Vulgate, 
has no footing in the Hebrew. We feel compelled, there- 
fore, to relinquish it. In so doing, no theological question is 
in reality affected thereby. The anti-Arians, indeed, lose 
their assumed foothold, viz. that of eternal possession of 
Wisdom ; which they compare with the Logos, and with 
John's assertion that he was nqbg tov Qeov. The Arians, 
on the other hand, gain nothing by the proposed exegesis ; 
for, to make it of any avail to them, they must show that 
Wisdom and the Logos are not only persons, but are one and 
the same person. As such an assumption is demonstrably 
groundless, so they cannot prove the creation of the Logos, by 
the clause in question. The writer means to say that the 
first of God's creation was the wisdom, which guided all 
subsequent measures. Only poetically, of course, can this be 
said ; and it is said only because the poet converts Wisdom 
into an allegorical personage, and makes her as it were a 
distinct agent. In and by Wisdom, God made all things. 
Of course, if Wisdom be personified, then she, considered as 
a personage, must have had a beginning, (for God only is 
self-existent) ; and her rise must have been antecedent to the 



224 Part I— Chap. VIII. 23. 



works which were performed by her aid. Comp. vs. 24, 25, 
which again assert her rise or birth. 

Accordingly, she is said to be , the firstling or 

first creation of his active formative power or doing, , rp 1 3 being 
equivalent here to action or doing. The idea of this com- 
pound phrase stands in apposition with the preceding 
me. To supply Si before ri^tf ^ , and then translate : in the 
beginning, is manifestly a departure from the text. Before 
his works means his creative works here ; elsewhere it means 
doings of any sort. — iwq is again another epexegetical clause, 
added to the preceding one. It here means long ago, in its 
most extensive sense, i. e. before the creation of the world. 
Nothing is clearer than that wisdom must have preceded all 
the works mentioned in the sequel, in which she aided. One 
must be, before he can act. 

On the whole, I do not see how we can translate "Ojg by 
any of the secondary meanings of lTJj5 . For what sense 
would it make to say : Jehovah acquired, procured, obtained, 
or purchased me, etc.? From whom did he obtain or procure 
Wisdom ? Who possessed it, before he acquired or procured 
it ? These questions preclude this secondary exegesis, and 
cast us upon the first, viz. 6 Jehovah set up or established 
Wisdom first of all, and employed her aid in devising the 
plan and order of the creation.' Poetically, indeed, but very 
strikingly is this expressed. 

(23) Of old was I anointed ; from the beginning, from the earliest 
period of the earth. 

The personification is carried on consistently. When 
wisdom has been raised up, she is inducted into her august 
office by anointing or consecration. The other sense of T]?J 
here, i. e. poured forth, has no tolerable meaning, as it applies 
in this way only to the pouring out of libations or of melted 
metal. — ? plur. of ts^g , means of course the commencing 
period of the earth. The whole verse repeats, in another 



Part I— Chap. VIII. 24—27. 



225 



form, the views of the preceding verse. The ancient versions 
are all at fault here, not understanding "r.^SD . — The main 
idea, viz. that of antiquity, is greatly expanded in the sequel. 

(24) While there were no depths I was born, when there were no 
fountains laden with water. 

If there be difficulty about ^Jg , as to the meaning given 
above, this verse would seem to solve it. Here, wisdom is 
said to be born, ifcftbin , Poal of . — Laden or heavy with 
ivater, Gesenius takes no notice of the Dagh. forte in ^ of 
155^ , but puts the word down merely as a Part. Niph. But 
surely it belongs not there. It is an intensive adjective, 
formed from the Niph. Part., and agrees with the masc. form 
biiWB implied. Laden means containing ponderous masses. 
— The deep here, nvsintn , refers to the great abyss beneath 
the earth ; see Gen. 1: 2. 

(25) Before the mountains were sunk down, before the hills, was I 
born. 

Sunk down, i. e. sunk into the earth. — Before the hills 
[were sunk], Lwas born ; again repeating the leading idea 
of the former verse, i. e. her very ancient birth. 

(26) When he had not formed the land and the deserts, nor the 
mass of the dust of the earth. 

Probably land here means terra culta, to which the word 
deserts stands opposed. — 'dan seems here to mean sum, mass ; 
comp. Ps. 139 : 17. — Inasmuch as nins^ is plur., it probably 
means clods of dust ; or the plur. may designate the widely 
extended and multitudinous dust. 

(27) When he established the heavens, I was there : when he marked 
out the circle on the face of the waters. 

The heavens, i. e. the welkin, or (in other words) the con- 
cave set with stars. — ipfi , Inf. of ppfi , the usual pn goes 
of course into the short vowel, Qibbuts, when it takes a suff, 



226 



Part I— Chap. VIII. 28, 29. 



The sufF. designates the agent : when he defined, i. e. described, 
marked out. — "&T\ is the circle or concave of the arched 
heavens. — On the face of the waters, i. e. on the ocean, 
which, in the view of the Hebrews, surrounded the whole 
earth, and the edges of the welkin or vault of heaven, were 
supposed by them to rest upon the face of it. Here = 
S^pi in Gen. 1: 6. The idea is : 6 When he defined or cir- 

- » • T 

cumscribed the vault of heaven, which rests on the face of 
the great ocean.' 

(28) When he fixed the clouds on high 5 when the fountains of the 
abyss were made firm. 

Fixed the clouds, means that he firmly established the 
location or sustentation of them ; and b^BE defines where 
this was. Lit. this word means : on the part of the upper 
region, i. e. above the ^rt or welkin. — The fountains of the 
abyss are the reservoirs of water above the firmament, Gen. 
1: 7. 11: 7. How the fountains are made firm, may be seen 
in Job. 26 : 8. Firm or strong they must be, in the view of 
the Hebrew, who knew nothing of the true formation of rain- 
showers, in order to retain the abysses of water above. For 
the breaking up, or rather cleaving of these abysses, at the 
time of the deluge, see Gen. 7: 11, and comp. sgja in Job 
26:8, where the same imagery is presented. — titg , Inf. 
Kal, is intrans., and does not mean actively to strengthen, but 
to be or become firm or strong. Hence I have rendered it as 
intransitive. 

(29) When he marked out for the sea its limit, so that the waters 
should not pass beyond its shore ; when he defined the foundations of 
the earth. 

ipfi , from the noun ph , root ppn . — Vfc , not mouth here, 
but Up tropically understood, = edge, margin, shore. — Ip^in , 
Inf. of pptt , = ipn , but taking the form of a verb 13J , i. e. 
as if it were from p*in . See for this usage, § 66. n. 9. 
Umbreit says, that foundations here means pillars, and refers 



Part I-Chap. VIII. 30, 31. 227 



to Job 9 : 6 for proof. It is clear, in this passage of Job, 
that pillars are supporters; but they are not therefore 
exactly equivalent to foundations. 

(30) Then was I near him as a confidant ; I was a delight continu- 
ally, rejoicing before him at all times. 

Vs. 24 — 29 all belong virtually to a protasis, of which 
v. 30 is a part of the apodosis. The 1 before the first verb 
is continuative, and is so rendered. The verb (used as a 
Praeter) connects with the implied Perf. ( was ) before *?2K 
in v. 27. — Near him, i. e. in his immediate presence. — 
"liEtf, as a noun, may mean artificer (see Lex.), or, as it 
seems to me. it more probably means here, one confided in 
as faithful and true. This agrees better with the tenor of 
the latter part of the verse. — dwtisti, reduplicate form 
from 251a , plur. of intensity, like the Latin deliciae, i. e. a 
source of much delight. Bertheau : ergotzliche Spieler ei = 
a delightful sport. This hardly consists with the root ; and 
Jer. 31 : 20, to which he appeals, surely does not satisfacto- 
rily confirm this meaning. — Rejoicing, nghto , lit. laughing, 
sporting, e. g. as an innocent and joyful child sports. The 
imagery is vivid ; but the dignity of the agent seems to pro- 
hibit a literal version. Indeed, the verb pnb is only a 
weakened form of pn^ , and would rather import smiling. 
I have given a meaning ad sensum in the version, although 
it does not present the exact light and shade of the original. 
Our mode of expression, in relation to such a subject, is 
grave and respectful, and will hardly permit us to translate 
by laughing or sporting, much less dancing (as some trans- 
late) here. 

(31) Rejoicing in the habitable world — his earth ; and my delight 
was with the children of men. 

Umbreit wrongly : and lam the delight of mankind. The 
writer tells us here, that Wisdom did not confine her pres- 



228 Part I— Chap. VIII. 32—34. 



ence merely to the heavenly world. When the inhabited 
earth appeared, she descended and abode upon it, mingling 
with men, and taking delight in counselling and guiding 
them. — Truly an exquisitely fine thought, and a very at- 
tractive turn of the discourse. If Wisdom has acted thus, 
with what gratitude and readiness ought men to listen to 
her ! This is the obvious deduction from the text, and it 
prepares the way for the closing exhortation. — bnn is a 
poetic word = the Greek yrj omovfjisvi]. — His earth, i. e. 
this same earth which he created by Wisdom. — With the 
sons of men, i. e. associating with them, mixing with them, 
going among them. 

After this sublime description of the excellence and dig- 
nity of Wisdom, with great effect does the writer return to 
his persuasive exhortations. 

(32) And now, ye children, hearken to me; for blessed are they 
who keep my ways. 

^toa , has the form of plur. const., but always is employed 
in this way only, and virtually therefore an interjection. 
Before the verb *ilBto^ an ntotf is implied. — My ways means : 
those which I prescribe. 

(33) Hear instruction, and be wise, and reject it not. 

After W&t\ (Qamets in Pause), the noun ^wa is of course 
implied. This verb occurs often in this book, viz., 1: 25. 
13 : 18. 15 : 32. 

(34) Blessed is the man who hearkeneth to me, so as to watch at 
my doors continually, so as to keep watch at the posts of my gates. 

The h before the two Infinitives is designed to mark the 
verbs as limiting and explaining 5:9 to , by showing what such 
hearkening consists in. Wisdom is here conceived of as 
dwelling in her temple, (see 9:1), and the anxious inquirer 
for her, as watching and waiting for the opening of her 
doors. 



Part I— Chap. VIII. 35, 36. 



229 



(35) For he who fmdeth me, findeth life; and he shall obtain favor 
from Jehovah. 

^fitM has the vowels of the Qeri, which drops the Yodh 
final. This is the most simple reading. But the Kethibh 
would answer well, if pointed ^XSE , finders, and the preced- 
ing word also pointed thus, ^HSa , the finders of me. The 
sense is the same in both ways. — p££1 , Imperf. Hiph. of 
p*is, with retracted accent, and therefore shortened final 
syllable, § 97. n. 7. 

(36) But whosoever misseth me, injureth himself; all who hate me, 
love death. 

"wan is here used in its original sense, viz., that of missing 
a mark. In this way it stands contrasted with the ^asb 
(finding ) of the preceding verse. The missing, however, is 
here taken as voluntary, because it takes place through neg- 
lect and indifference. — Love death, i. e. inasmuch as they 
are shunning my counsel and refusing my reproof, they 
show that they love " the way that leads to Sheol, going 
down to the chambers of death ; " for this is the way to 
which the adulteress invites them. 

In this allegorical and truly poetic description of the dignity and 
excellence of wisdom, we may see the high import attached to the 
word, Avhere the writer employs it as designating moral and religious 
attainments or conduct. Of course, folly, which is the antithesis, be- 
comes in his writings also a very significant word. The design of the 
chapter is to exhibit the claims which Wisdom has to be heard, on 
the ground of her antiquity, her excellence, and her sympathy with 
men. Being personified, she must be spoken of in accordance with 
this, for the sake of congruity. Not being God himself, who is eter- 
nal and self -existent, she must of course be conceived of as originated. 
But it was before time began, i. e. before the creation. Her origination 
*(so called) consists in her active development. She was the rY^tf^ 
(firstling) of the creation. If any one still insists, that the real Logos 
is to 'be found here, i. e. a real and not a poetical personage ; and also 
that of v. 22 means possessed, (as many have said and still sa^ ; 
then let him reperuse vs. 24, 25, and consider what h rf?^in means. It 
20 



230 



Part I-Chap. IX. 



is never applied to begetting as an act of the father, but only to bring* 
ing forth, as the act of the mother ; then passively it designates the 
effects of that act, viz., the being born, in relation to the child. It is 
quite a different word from lij , to beget, which applies both to father 
and mother, like the Greek yevvdcj and rinTeiv, and the Latin parere. 
If, then, the interpreter will honestly follow out his Logos-scheme 
here, he must come at last to such a position, that the question may 
well be asked : Who then was the mother of Wisdom, and brought her 
forth ? The verb cannot be attached to the action of a father. And 
if we are obliged to answer such a question as the word *irf?bin 
naturally raises, we must go I know not where to find an answer. In 
fact, this course of proceeding, if followed out, leads at last to a down- 
right absurdity. The Logos (as hypostatically such) had no mother ; 
nor, as self-existent and independent God, could he have in a proper 
sense a father. If the doctrine of real eternal generation be applied to 
vs. 22 — 31, then, to be impartial, we must find an eternal mother, as 
well as father. Self existence and independence, in their true sense, are 
essential attributes of Godhead ; and derivation, in any way or man- 
ner, known or unknown, obvious or mysterious, is still derivation, and 
therefore it is directly opposed to self existence and independence. A 
derived supreme God is, at least to my own mind, a contradiction in 
substance if not in terms. The eighth chapter of Proverbs, there- 
fore, should cease from being appealed to, in order to show the gen- 
eration of the Logos — who was God — God over all — the true God and 
eternal life, John 1:1. Rom. 9 : 5. 1 John 5 : 20 ; and therefore unde- 
rived and self-existent. 

Chap. IX. 1—18. 

[This is the closing part of the large discourse which reaches from 
6 : 20 to 9 : 18. It is a kind of summary of the whole, not closely 
connected and rigidly continuous, but passing from one subject rapidly 
to another, in order to touch upon the leading points of the discourse. 
The nature of the case neither calls for, nor admits, the poetic fire and 
animation of the preceding chapter. The flow of speech seems less 
animated. The abruptness of the sentences, however, and the fre-„ 
quent transitions, to which allusion has already been made, occasion 
little or no obscurity, because of their obvious relation to the preced- 
ing context. It ends, as we might expect such a discourse to do, with 
a most solemn warning against the crime in question, by setting the 
fearful and inevitable consequences of it before the reader. 



Part I— Chap. IX. 1, 2. 



231 



The chapter begins with the declaration, that Wisdom has provided 
herself a house or temple, where all due preparation is made for the 
feast, to which she invites her chosen guests, vs. 1, 2. She sends forth 
her criers to summon these guests ; yet not any one and every one is 
invited, but the simple who lack information, vs. 3, 4. The scorner 
and the vile transgressor are not fitted for the instructions of wisdom, 
and would not receive them or profit by them. Her guests are invited 
to an excellent repast, not of physical luxuries, but (what is much 
better) of exhortations to walk in the way of life, vs. 5, 6. Scorners 
refuse reproof ; and to administer it only brings contempt and con- 
tumely on the reprover, vs. 7, 8. Not so with the wise, v. 9. Wis- 
dom is the fear of God, which secures long life ; for this receives a 
recompense which is meet, as scorning also does, vs. 9 — 12. But that 
enemy of all true wisdom, the adulteress, who watches for her prey, 
and gives out her ► invitations, addresses the simple, and tells them 
that " stolen waters are sweet," vs. 13 — 17. It is an unwary youth, 
who does not see that her ways lead, as they surely do, to destruction, 
v. 18.] 

(1) Wisdom hath built her house, she hath hewed out the seven 
pillars thereof. 

The writer had just spoken of watching and waiting at 
the doors of wisdom. Here he assigns to her a dwelling, — 
a goodly structure, well supported and magnificently adorned, 
in the manner of a temple. The apparent plur. fii^lDH is 
virtually an abstract noun, and ad sensum may have a predi- 
cate in the sing., as here; see 1: 20. — Seven pillars is a 
sufficient or complete number; a meaning that seven often 
tropically designates. The suff. in fi"^ 53 ? may apply to 
(for this is sometimes fern.), and so I have applied it in the 
version. Berth., and others, refer it to wisdom; which, 
however, seems to be less appropriate. 

(2) She hath killed her slaughter-beasts, she hath mingled her wine, 
she hath set in order her table. 

Some refer rna to an animal slaughtered for sacrifice ; 
but nnt designates this. The feast here does not appear to 
be a sacrificial one. The meaning is, that she has prepared 



232 



Part I—Chap. IX. 3—5. 



meat for the feast, to which she invites her guests. So of 
the wine, which she has mingled, i. e. mixed with water, or it 
may be with milk (Is. 55 : 1) ; for the temperate ancients 
never drank wine undiluted. All the predicates and suffixes 
here are singular; w T hich shows that nton above is re- 
garded in that light. 

(3) She hath sent forth her maidens, she maketh proclamation on 
the ridges of the high places of the city. 

Females were the usual heralds of good tidings among the 
Hebrews; see Ps. 68: 12. Is. 40: 9. Here it is appropri- 
ate, that Wisdom should send her female servants, in order 
to give the invitation to the feast. — The accents join K^ptt 
to the first clause of the verse ; wrongly, for it leads the 
second clause. — She makes proclamation, viz., by her mes- 
sengers. To this Berth, assents. — ^sa , bach, ridges, i. e. the 
summits of elevated places, from which proclamation might 
most extensively be made and heard. 

(4) Whosoever is simple, let him turn aside hither ; as to him that 
lacketh understanding, she saith to him : 

"l&J would normally be "lb; , as a hortative Imperf. ; but 
sometimes the same hortative tense occurs in the shape pre- 
sented by the text, § 71, n. 4. Turn aside, viz., from the 
path of the simple, and repair to the house of Wisdom. — 
sb-'non may be taken as in the Nom. abs., and is so taken in 
the version ; or we may bring forward the of the preceding 
clause, and translate thus : whoever lacketh understanding. 
The sentence is left unfinished by the verse. The first 
clause exhibits the words of Wisdom ; the second, those of 
the writer. 

(5) Come ye. feed on my viands, and drink the wine which I have 
mingled. 

The plural is here used, because the address is to many in* 



Part I— Chap. IX. 6—10. 



233 



dividuals, to each and every simpleton. — tsnb means generally 
to eat; and dfib means first, food in general, and then bread. 

(6) Eorsake simplicity, and ye shall live ; and walk in the way of 
understanding. 

D^ans , abstract plural here, lit. simplicities. — Ye shall 
live, because the Imper. is here used in the sense of prom- 
ise, § 127. 2. — snuSa , Kal Imper., more usually in Piel. 

(7) He who reproveth a scorner, getteth shame for himself ; and he 
who rebuketh the wicked, it is a blot to him. 

That is, he meets with shameful and reproachful treat- 
ment ; not that what he does is shameful, but that the man 
reproved acts shamefully toward him. — Swm , lit. his blot, or 
reproach, i. e. his reproof becomes the ground of reproach. 
Hence the caution in v. 8 : 

(8) Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee; reprove a wise man, 
and he will love thee. 

This verse gives the ground of the preceding assertion. 
The hatred of the scorner is roused by reproof, and so he 
will manifest it in reproaches. For suff. ^- ( = ^5- ), see 
p. 289 Gramm., for the forms. Exactly the reverse w r ill be 
the wise man's conduct. He will be grateful, and will love 
thee for fidelity. 

(9) Give to a wise man, and he will be still more wise ; communi- 
cate knowledge to the righteous man, and he will add to his learning. 

The giving in this case implies admonitory counsel. Sen- 
timent : 6 The good man will duly appreciate this, and so 
will add to his stock of instruction/ 

(10) The beginning of wisdom is the fear of Jehovah; and a 
knowledge of the Most Holy, is understanding. 

fi-^fcO may indicate here the first or leading advantage ; 
but the main object seems to be to assert that even a begin- 
20* 



234 Part I-Chap. IX. 11—14. 



ning in wisdom cannot be made without the fear of God. — 
E-nihp , (like tFiT&N; ), plural of intensity, the meaning of 
which is given in the version. The same in 30 : 3. Scorners 
and fools, therefore, who have no fear of God, cannot attain 
true wisdom. 

(11) By me thy days shall increase, and years of life shall be added 
to thee. (12) If thou becomest wise, thou art wise for thyself; and 
shouldest thou scorn, thou alone shalt bear it. 

V. 11 makes the usual promise of long life. V. 12 shows 
the advantage to be gained for one's self, by becoming wise. 
— Wise for thyself i. e. to thine own advantage. — tt^bl may 
be translated, if thou scornest, by bringing forward the Gtf of 
the preceding clause. The same thing is attained by the 
rendering in the version, ato (from atos) shalt bear, viz. 
the consequences of scorning, the penalty affixed to it, for 
this is of course implied. 

(13) A foolish woman is noisy, she is silly, and knows nothing. 

hlVto3 , lit. of folly, an abstract noun, but used here as an 
adjective. — Noisy, comp. 7 : 11, i. e. is bustling about and 
talking much. The adulteress is of course here aimed at. — 
r.^ns , with implied before it, from the preceding clause, 
i. e. a woman of simplicities, or a very silly woman. — rta, 
anything. The Dagh. is merely euphonic, and inserted 
because of the Maqqeph, so as to make a kind of short 
syllable with the preceding vowel. 

(14) She sitteth at the door of her house — on a seat in the high 
places of the city. 

, seat, lofty seat, but not throne here, unless we say, 
that she takes her seat as if enthroned, i. e. haughtily, and 
also in a splendid dress. The idea is — makes herself con- 
spicuous to public gaze, and challenges attention. — Next 
follows the design in view : 



Part I— Chap. IX. 15—18. 235 



(15) In order to call to passengers on the way, to those who are 
going straight forward in their paths. 

That is, in order to allure such way-passengers as were 
going directly on in pursuit of their proper business, and 
who were not hunting for by-paths. Of course, such are here 
considered as unwary and unguarded. 

(16) Whosoever is simple let him turn aside hither; and as to him 
that lacketh understanding, she saith to him : (17) Stolen waters are 
sweet, and bread in secret places is pleasant. 

In v. 16 the same thing is repeated, which is said of 
Wisdom in v. 4. But the tenor of the address that follows, is 
of course opposite to that in v. 5, seq. Bertheau represents 
v. 17 as the words of the writer, and not of the woman; but 
Umbreit assigns the words to the woman. Rightly ; for they 
are more apposite to her than to the writer ; who, if he speaks 
them, must be supposed to speak ironically. The contents 
of v. 17 are undoubtedly a common proverb. But this 
proverb the woman dexterously uses, in order to persuade 
the simpleton. Bread t^rjq , of secret places, means bread 
eaten in secret places, i. e. in the retired haunts of pleasure, 
whither the woman will conduct her guests. 

(18) And he knoweth not that the Shades are there — her guests 
in the depths of the under- wo rid. 

OTKB'i ghosts, umbrae, the dwellers in the under-world. 
— Her guests, lit. those invited by her and accepting the invita- 
tion, go down to certain destruction. 

Such is the unhappy end of him, who listens to the invitations of 
the adulteress. The opposite of this, (see v. 11), is many days of life, 
or long life. Neither the promise nor the threatening, so far as the 
language here employed is concerned, goes beyond the retributions of 
the present world. How much was at that time supposed to be 
implied, however, by such language, beyond its first and obvious 
meaning, i. e. whether the language is tropically or literally employed, 
is a question which it would be difficult to answer. It may have 
depended much on subjective knowledge and feeling, in particular 
cases. 



236 



Part II— Chap. X. 1—3. 



Part II. Chap. X. 1—32. 

[A summary of this is out of the question ; inasmach as scarcely 
any two verses are connected together, and never more than two. 
Each verse is, almost without exception, complete in itself. The 
whole composition is strictly and invariably apothegmatic ; and in a 
large proportion of the cases, the second arlxoc is in contrast with the 
first. The regular arrangement of all this, shows great care and skill 
in the selection. Of course, in such a composition, the only connec- 
tion which one verse has with another, is that of similarity of con- 
struction and rhythm, there being usually the same number of words 
in each verse. Brevity, energy, and vivacity of expression, character- 
ize the whole. For particulars, see Introduction, § 6.] 

(1) The Proverbs of Solomon. A wise son maketh a glad 
father ; but a foolish son is the grief of his mother. 

Wise and foolish have now become very significant words, 
by reason of what has already been said concerning wisdom 
and folly. — The Hebrews said : the grief of his mother, as 
in our text ; we should more readily say : A grief to his 
mother. 

(2) The treasures of wickedness do not profit; but righteousness 
delivereth from death. 

In these contrasts, a 1 almost everywhere stands at the 
head of the second clause, and in the sense of but, § 152. B. 
b. — Do not profit, because they cannot deliver from death 
the possessors of them ; on the contrary, righteousness does 
deliver. Not from natural death, (for all die), but from 
that death which is a punishment for crime, or (in other 
words) from sudden death. 

(3) Jehovah will not suffer the soul of the righteous to hunger ; but 
the greedy desire of the wicked will he repel. 

The Hiph. form, , has here the modified sense of 
permitting to be hungry, or letting one go hungry, not that of 



Part II— Chap. X. 4—7. 



237 



making hungry. Sentiment : ' The Lord will provide all 
needed good for the righteous ; but the cravings of the 
wicked he will refuse to satisfy.' 

(4) Poor is he, who worketh with a slack hand ; but the hand of 
the diligent maketh rich. 

m 1 ! , more usually written . — «Tw2> doeth, worketh, with, 
"im implied, or rather, the Part, itself of course implies an 
indefinite Nom., when it is not expressed. — Slack hand, 
lit. deceitful hand, the Acc. of instrument, § 135. n. 3. — 
f which lit. means deceitfid, is here rendered slack, i. e. 
sluggish, because such a hand frustrates all reasonable ex- 
pectation of accomplishing the end desired. Besides, it is 
opposed to the hand of the diligent, which of course implies 
activity and energy. 

(5) He who gathereth in summer is a wise son ; he who sleepeth in 
harvest-time, is a base son. 

The two participles here, as usual, supply their own indef. 
Nom., viz. whoever, or he who, is qui. — is Part. Niph., 
because Kal is not used, and is employed in the simple 
intrans. sense, as Kal might be. — JDiM ? lit. causing shame ; 
which is equivalent to base. 

(6) Blessings are on the head of the righteous; but the mouth of 
the wicked concealeth injury. 

That is, blessings will come upon the righteous, because 
of the good they do ; but the wicked conceal or keep secret 
a meditated injury, i. e. the mouth speaks not concerning it, 
in order that, by secrecy, they may strike the surer blow. 
The injured, in such a case, will bestow no blessings on 
them. This last thought is implied, but not expressed. — ■ 
hiD'JSi , plural of intensity, i. e. abundant blessing. 

(7) The memory of the just shall be blessed ; but the name of the 
wicked shall rot. 



23d • Part II— Chap. X. 8—11. 



;i#T£hhi , lit. for a Messing, which means, that every one 
who recalls the memory of the just, shall do it with invoking 
a blessing on him, (the usual custom of the East, down to 
the present hour) ; so this == blessed. — ng^i , spoken of wood, 
means to be worm-eaten, or as we say : powder-posted ; con- 
sequently, in a fragile and perishable condition. Tropically 
taken, it means shall be loathsome, 

(8) The wise of heart will receive commands ; but he who is fool- 
ish with his lips, shall rush headlong. 

Commands are those of God, or of wisdom. — Foolish with 
his lips = speaks foolishly. — ta^Ste) may be a Gen. after 
the adjective before it ; or it may be taken as the Acc. of 
manner. — ^5^. , in Niph. as intrans. Kal, because Kal is 
not here employed. 

(9) He who walketh in integrity, walketh safely; but he who per- 
verteth his ways, shall be discovered. 

■t|^| , Imperf. of ^ > accent retracted, and therefore the 
normal Tseri final is shortened; and all this, because a 
tone-syllable immediately follows, § 29. 3. b. — The deceiver 
shall be made known = shall be discovered. 

(10) He who winketh with the eye shall give pain ; and he who is 
foolish with his lips, shall rush headlong. 

Eye and lips, Acc. of instrument, and so we supply with 
in English. — MB? , a Piel form, intensive ; Qamets in pause. 
Meaning : 6 He who is trickish and deceitful, shall be duly 
punished.' 

(11) A fountain of life is the mouth of the righteous; but the 
mouth of the wicked concealeth injury. 

The righteous speaks words adapted to preserve life, he 
gives saving or salutary counsel ; the wicked use deceit, in 
order to perpetrate injuries. 



Part EL— Chap. X. 12—16. 



239 



(12) Hatred stirreth up strifes; but love covereth over all trans- 
gressions. 

, Imperf. Polel of' 1 after 9 being omitted. — 
tnD/ip , from fvz , root . — Meaning : 6 The spirit of true 
love is ever ready to pity and forgive transgressions.' 

(13) In the lips of the intelligent, wisdom is found; but a rod is 
for the back of him. who lacketh understanding. 

Wisdom utters not that which will be injurious ; but a 
fool says that which will be likely to provide a rod for him. 

(14) The wise treasure up knowledge ; but the mouth of a fool is 
destruction near at hand. 

to&2p may mean lay up, in the sense of a prudent holding 
back of communications, on some occasions where they might 
do harm == " Cast not your pearls before swine." The other 
clause shows, that the words of a fool are such as often occa- 
sion his speedy destruction. — rohjs here means imminent, 
for what is close by is ready to act. 

(15) The wealth of the rich man is his strong c»*yj the destruction 
of the poor is their poverty. 

This is of course to be qualified. The simple meaning is : 
6 There are times when the wealth of the rich will avert 
danger and suffering ; and at such a time the poor may 
perish for want of money.' 

(16) The work of the righteous is unto life; the earnings of the 
wicked are unto sin. 

Bertheau and Umbreit render rib^S by Lohn, reward. So 
indeed the word may mean. But its primary meaning, given 
above, is well ; and so the ancient Versions. The meaning 
is, that the promise to righteous doing is life, i. e. long life ; 
hence the tendency of the doing is unto life. On the other 
hand, the fruits of wicked doing, i. e. the earnings of the 
wicked, tend to sin. In other words : ' They so appropriate 



240 



Part II— Chap. X. 17—20. 



their earnings as to lead them into sin ; or, their earnings 
are acquired by sinful practices/ and so bring on them the 
evils of sin. 

(17) A way of life is he who keepeth instruction ; but he who for- 
saketh reproof, leadeth astray. 

In other words, the well-instructed man gives discreet 
counsel, which points out the way of life. So Christ, as 
teacher, is called the way, John 14 : 6. — tr$tyq > causeth to 
wander, or leadeth astray, namely, from the path of life. As 
the righteous points to this path, by instruction, and by his 
own example in following it, so the wicked lead astray by 
precept and by example. 

(18) He who concealeth hatred is of lying lips ; and he who uttereth 
slander, is a very fool. 

^igiu 'irjSia is preceded, no doubt, by tfiiji implied, i. e. a 
man of lying lips. But the version gives the idea sufficiently 
well. — ttSi'Q , Hiph. Part, of , lit. causes to go forth, which, 
applied to slander, means uttering it. — he is, (§ 119. 2). 
The design of it here is to give intensity to the expression ; 
which I have imitated in the version. 

(19) In multiplying words there will be no lack of transgression ; 
but he who restraineth his lips is prudent. 

yi is the Inf. const, of ttl . If it were a noun, it would 

- T 7 

shorten its vowel, and read -yi , robh. Sentiment : 6 Much 
speaking exposes one to say things that will be injurious ; 
(see the graphic passage relative to this, in Ecc. 5 : 1 — 7) ; 
and therefore a prudent man will guard well his lips.' 

(20) Choice silver is the tongue of the righteous; the heart of the 
wicked is worthless. 

The tongue utters words ; the heart conceives them ; so 
that tongue and heart have, in this passage, substantially the 
same thing in view. It is assumed here, that the righteous 



Part II— Chap. X. 21—23. 



241 



utters that which is accordant with his character, and then 
his words are of much worth. But the conceptions of the 
wicked are D3> ~3 , lit. as a very little thing = ivorthless, as 
expressed in the version. 

(21) The lips of the righteous feed many; but fools die for lack of 
understanding. 

Feeding with the lips, of course means imparting instruc- 
tion. A teacher was called hsp , i. e. a feeder, by the He- 
brews ; and so the New Testament noi^v ; comp. vs. 11, 17. 
— ^Dti may be, and probably is, the Inf. const, nominascens 
of the verb ^ot\ . 6 Fools, who will not receive the food 
(the instruction) which the righteous impart, perish for lack 
of knowledge.' Perhaps 1CH is const, of IDfi adj. ; if so, 
then we must translate thus : through him that lacketh under- 
standing ; the meaning then is, that fools die by the influence 
over them of foolish men. 

(22) The blessing of Jehovah — that maketh rich; nor will he 
increase sorrow therewith. 

Bf»Sn , that, is intensive ; as much as to say : this is that 
which, i. e. this and nothing else. — Cjtpi^ Imperf. Hiph. with 
i formative omitted. The Norn, to this verb seems to be 
Jehovah, taken from the first clause : Jehovah wiU not in- 
crease, etc. Sentiment : < God's blessing enriches, and that 
without increasing sorrow.' The meaning is not, that he 
who is enriched shall have no sorrows in the present life ; 
but that sorrows are not of necessity increased by riches, 
when it is Jehovah who bestows them. The prosperity of 
the mere worldling, procured by unlawful means, brings 
many sorrows with it ; comp. the vivid picture of this, in 
Ecc. 2:21—23. 5:10, 11. 6:1, 2. — Wp9, with it, viz., 
with the bestowment of the blessing. 

(23) It is like sport to a fool to do mischief \ but wisdom belongeth 
to the man of understanding. 

21 



242 



Part II— Chap. X. 24—27. 



pinto , Inf. nominasc. — To do mischief, lit. to execute an 
evil device, evil because mischievous. Of course, a man of 
understanding will not regard doing mischief as sport or a 
joke, but as a very serious matter. 

(24) The terror of the wicked — that shall come upon him j but the 
desire of the righteous he will grant. 

Terror here means that which is feared, i. e. the ground of 
terror. — ^amrn , Imperf. third fern, of tfia, , with the suff. 

. — ityn has doubtless Jehovah implied for its Nom. ; see 
v. 22. The nature of the case also implies thus much ; for 
we may ask : Who punishes the wicked ? Who blesses the 
righteous ? And the answer is spontaneous. 

(25) When the whirlwind passeth over, the wicked is no more; but 
as to the righteous — there is an eternal foundation. 

The 3 before the Inf. is here expressive of time, i. e. 
when; and so oftentimes. — Sto^ lit. then is not the 

wicked. I have conformed it more closely to our own idiom. 
■ — But the whirlwind produces no effect on the established 
righteous, because he stands on a foundation that is never to 
be moved, or which is eternal. 

(26) As vinegar to the teeth, and as smoke to the eyes, so is a slug- 
gard to those who send him. 

Every one's experience readily explains this. Vinegar 
sets the teeth on edge, as we express it; smoke causes 
painful excitement to the eyes ; and a vexation like to 
these is a sluggard who is commissioned on an errand that 
requires haste. The article follows the 3 of comparison 
here throughout; § 107. n. 1. a. — *nH?to* , Part. plur. with 
suffix. 

(27) The fear of Jehovah will increase days; but the years of the 
wicked shall be curtailed. 

A sentiment very often repeated, and one on which much 



Part II— Chap. X. 28—31. 



243 



stress is laid. — Days of course means time. — fW2£piri 2 in 
Kal, but being intrans. here, it may be rendered passively. 

(28) The expectation of the righteous is joyful 5 but the hope of 
the wicked shall perish. 

Joyful, lit. joy ; and it is so, because he believes that his 
expectation will be realized. The hopes of the wicked, on 
the other hand, will be frustrated. 

(29) A strong hold for uprightness is the way of Jehovah; but 
destruction is for the workers of iniquity. 

The way of Jehovah, is the way in which he acts ; so that 
the sentiment stands thus : 6 The upright will find protection, 
in the doings or providential arrangements of Jehovah/ 
This same way of his will bring destruction upon the wicked. 

(30) The righteous shall never be moved ; but the wicked shall not 
inhabit the land. 

Heb. not forever = never. — we!\ , Niph. Imperf. of ttfra . 
The threatening here is equivalent to other threatenings, 
which declare that the wicked shall be cut off — shall not live 
out half their days, etc. — The land here means the promised 
land, i. e. Palestine. But under this promise, a more gen- 
eral truth may lie. 

(31 ) The mouth of the just bringeth forth wisdom ; but the tongue 
of perversity shall be cut out. 

Sto; , lit. germinates, shoots forth in buds, and thence, more 
generally, produces or brings forth. — SnWSftft , plur. of 
intensity, or else the fern. plur. simply for an abstract noun. 

"We say of the tongue, cut out, rather than cut, or cut off. 
This shows the difference between the language and thoughts 
of the righteous and the wicked ; the one inculcates wisdom, 
the other speaks that which condemns him to the loss of his 
tongue. 



244 Part II-Chap. XI. 1—3. 

(32) The lips of the righteous know what is well-pleasing ; but th& 
mouth of the wicked is perverse. 

"j'iS'jj lit. approbation, pleasure; used as an adjective, 
well-pleasing, viz., to Jehovah. Hence his blessing on the 
righteous. But the wicked utter only perversities, i. e. a 
series of falsehood and deceit, — the plur. being intensive ; 
which of course cannot be well-pleasing to God. 

Chap. XI. 1—31. 

(1) Balances of deceit are the abomination of Jehovah; but a 
complete weight is his delight. 

The balances here mentioned are such as are provided 
with false weights, for the purposes of fraud. — What w T e 
call full weight, is in Hebrew lit. a stone of completeness. 
The iveights were stones ; and they were complete when they 
were full or exact. 

(2) Does pride come, then shame will come ; but with the humble 
is wisdom. 

The 1 before ah^ is the Vav consequential ; and so have I 
translated. — s is an unusual word in poetry, but the 
meaning here is plain, jiTr characterizes lofty assuming de- 
meanor, while means to carry one 9 s self meekly and lowly. 

(3) The integrity of the upright shall lead them; but the perverse- 
ness of the treacherous shall destroy them. 

dnpfr , Hiph. Imperf. of nnj , with plur. suff. — b'ntij'i , 
should be read as in the Qeri with i prefix, and then it is 
the Imperf. of 1^ with a suff., and this calls forth the Dagh. 
in the ^ . — Lead them, e. g. as a shepherd leads his sheep, 
and therefore in the path of safety and peace. — Destroy 
them has here an intensive word in the Heb., quasi lay hold 
on them with violent force. 



Part II— Chap. XL 4—8. 



245 



(4) Wealth will not profit in the day of wrath ; but righteousness 
will deliver from death. 

biyfr, Hiph. of — Wrath here means divine indigna- 
tion ; see Ezek. 7: 19. 

(5) The righteousness of the upright shall make even his way; 
but the wicked shall fall by his wickedness. (6) The righteousness 
of the upright shall deliver them 5 but by their own greedy desire the 
treacherous shall be ensnared. 

An even way is one on which the righteous will not stum- 
ble. — Deliver them, viz., from punishment or evil. — Greedy 
desire will strongly tempt men to sin, and so they will be 
ensnared. 

(7) When a wicked man dieth, his hope shall perish ; and the ex- 
pectation of the afflicted perisheth. 

His hope of riches or pleasures perishes at death. — 
tFJia , is however a doubtful word. Most have taken it as a 
noun plur. from , baseness. But it may be regarded as a 
Part, here ; see Hos. 9 : 4, and Hitzig in loc. If a Part, 
from "fix, = Chald. *g2S, then it signifies afflicted. The 
meaning of the verse then would be, that ' when the wicked 
die, all their hopes perish ; and when they are sick and af- 
flicted, their expectation of recovery or alleviation will be 
frustrated.' So Bertheau, and so the Vulg. ; and the sense 
thus given is striking. There is indeed no antithesis here, 
but the representation is climactic. The truth of the first 
clause is plain to all ; the second will strike with the more 
force, because it shows the extent of the mischief which 
wickedness occasions. However, the other interpretation is 
not a bad one : The expectation of baseness [of the base] shall 
perish. The plur. d^aia is, when thus understood, a plur. 
of intensity. But the first method is somewhat more specific. 

(8) The righteous shall be rescued from distress; and the wicked 
shall come in his stead. 

21* 



246 



Part II— Chap. XI. 9—12. 



Safety is here pledged to the righteous ; while the wicked 
is doomed to the suffering of that which was before urgent 
on the righteous. 

(9) By the mouth, a vile person destroys his neighbor ; but by the 
knowledge of the righteous shall he be delivered. 

By the mouth, i. e. by what the mouth speaks. — '^rn, 
Niph. Imperf. plural, although neighbor (sing.) is the subject. 
But then, this word is here virtually a noun of multitude, 
meaning every and any neighbor, A plur. verb in such case 
is very common. 

(10) When it goeth well with the righteous, the city rejoiceth ; but 
when the wicked perish, there is shouting. 

Here are two Infinitives const, with S before them, both 
governing the Gen. as Inf. nominascens. Here are also two 
rejoicings. The first is the joy which men usually feel, 
when the righteous are prospered ; the second is the shout of 
exultation, when base transgressors fall. 

(11) By the blessing of the upright, the city shall be exalted; but 
by the mouth of the wicked, it shall be razed. 

Exalted, Wtin , seems here to mean, put in a condition of 
safety, or out of the reach of assault; like S^b, which 
means first to exalt, and then to render safe. The ground of 
the figure is a high wall, or a munition of rocks, the loftiness 
of which secures the safety of the enclosed city. — The 
mouth of the wicked is here supposed to utter curses or false- 
hoods, so as to bring vengeance on the city, or, so to speak, as 
to betray it by traitorous communications. 

(12) He that useth despitefully his neighbor, is one who lacketh 
understanding ; but the man of intelligence will keep silence. 

Tin, Part, of m, seems here to mean the utterance of con- 
temptuous and slanderous language, which is despiteful 
usage ; for, as opposed to this (in the next clause) stands 



Part II— Chap. XL 13—16. 



247 



keep silence, i. e. will not utter reproaches ; either he will be 
silent where others reproach ; or, he will be silent in respect 
to that, which the fool treats and speaks of contemptuously. 

(13) He who goeth about as a slanderer, revealeth secrets; but he 
who is of a faithful spirit, concealeth a matter. 

In other words : A slanderer will even reveal secrets, in 
order to gratify his propensity for prating ; but a man of a 
trusty spirit will conceal what is committed to him in confi- 
dence. — "jaw in const, state, so that the final Qamets of the 
Part, form is shortened, § 110. 2. 

(14) Where there is no guidance the people fall ; but by an increase 
of counsellors there is safety. 

nfenn, plur. abstract, lit. pilotage, steer smanship, from 
b^n , rope, or Wn , sailor = rope-man ; like our English Salt 
for sailor. All these meanings are secondary and tropical, 
for the root seems rather diverse from them. — rn , Inf. of 
ii 1 ! . — vsti , Part, used as a noun ; and as it is here used 
in a generic sense, it may therefore be regarded and rendered 
as a plural. So I have given it in the version. 

(15) An evil man showeth himself as evil, when he giveth pledge 
for a stranger: but he who hateth the striking of hands, shall be safe. 

§-tV , Niph. Imperf. of , and in its reflexive sense ; as 
in the version. He shows himself as evil, by hastily pledging 
himself, and then not redeeming his pledge as promised. — 
t^s'pin means lit. those who strike hands, being to appearance 
a participle. The translation, however, I have made so as 
to refer rather to the action than to the agents. — Much diffi- 
culty has been made with this verse, by taking S 1 ! as Inf. 
abs. in Kal, from ssfi . Erroneously, for this would be 
and not 5?*n . But the method of explanation, proposed in 
the version, is easy and obvious. 

(16) A beautiful woman taketh fast hold of honor 5 even as the 
mighty grasp at riches. 



248 



Part II— Chap. XL 17—19. 



iia^j honor, in opposition to shame. A woman truly 
lovely will be eager to maintain strict propriety of conduct, 
instead of subjecting herself to reproach and shame. — 
fc^ 4 "^ , generally violent, terrible, but also very powerful, as 
here ; see Lex. The meaning of the whole is, that a lovely 
woman will be as solicitous to maintain her honor, as the 
mighty usually are in quest of spoil or riches. Here com- 
parison is signified by the 1 before the second clause, and 
therefore we may translate it — and so, or even as, § 152. 
B. 3. 

(17) He who doeth good to himself, is a man of kindness 5 but he 
who trouble th his own flesh, is cruel. 

The design of this is not to recommend selfishness, in the 
proper sense of that word, but a wise and prudent care and 
solicitude for one's own real good. This is kindness, i. e. 
kindness to himself. On the contrary, he who vexes him- 
self by an improper course of conduct, is cruel to himself. 

(18) The wicked acquireth deceitful gain; but he that soweth 
righteousness — a sure reward. 

r&2S , is not only work, but also the fruits of it, i. e. reward 
or gain. To deceitful gain stands opposed sure reward. 
Before '■Dto , one may supply, if he chooses, iitei) from the 
preceding clause. 

(19) As is righteousness in respect to life, even so is he that pur- 
sueth evil in respect to death. 

That is, righteousness will gain the sure reward (before 
mentioned), and wickedness will meet with its recompense, 
viz. death. Some take ",5 as a noun = steadfastness, and 
some as an adjective, firm, fixed. But this is unnecessary. 
The usual sense, as above, is well. The Sept. and Syr. read 
■)5 j son. The text, from the seeming imperfection of its 
present construction, appears to have been disturbed ; or, at 
least, it was misread, by some of the translators in ancient 
times. 



Part II— Chaf. XL 20—23. 



249 



(20) The perverse of heart are the abomination of Jehovah ; hut 
those who are upright in their way, are his delight. (21 ) Hand to 
hand, the evil man shall not go free ; but the seed of the righteous 
shall be delivered. 

In v. 21, we have two adjectives in the const, state, before 
the nouns which modify them ; which construction is very 
frequent in this book, and common elsewhere. — T 1 , is 
an expression sui generis. Different meanings have been 
assigned to it ; (a) Hand against hand, i. e. one man's hand 
against his neighbor's = the injurious man. (b) From one 
hand to another = from one generation to another, (c) Join- 
ing hand to hand, in the way or as a token of assurance = 
truly, verily. All these are little better than guesses. The 
phrase is evidently a proverbial one, and, like other brief 
gnomes, it is doubtless abridged or compressed. The most 
simple interpretation is that of J. H. Michaelis : 6 Hand 
joined to hand, will not protect the guilty, or get him clear.' 
In other words : 6 Let the evil man struggle with all his 
might, he will not escape.' This is a good sense, and, in my 
view, the most easy and natural of all. The same is repeated 
in 16: 5. 

(22) A ring of gold in the snout of a swine, is a beautiful woman 
who departs from sound discretion. 

In other words : Her beauty is like a gold ring in the 
snout of a swine, in case she departs from sound propriety 
in her conduct. A homely proverb, but very expressive. 
— rrto , Part. fern, const, of *viO, lit. a receder from. 

(23) The desire of the righteous is good only; the expectation of 
the wicked is indignation. 

That is, the desire of the righteous will end in good or 
blessing ; for God blesses the obedient. The wicked, too, 
have desire or expectations ; but they will end in indigna- 
tion, i. e. in bringing upon them the wrath of God, or punish- 
ment. 



250 



Part II-Ciiap. XL 24—26. 



(24) There is who scattereth, and yet addition is made; and he 
who holdeth back more than is right, [it will be] only to poverty. 

That is, there are those who give liberally, and yet grow 
rich. — tj&to, addition is made, Part. Niphal. There is a 
different class, who keep back beyond rectitude, i. e. more 
than what is just and proper, and yet they grow poor in 
spite of their parsimony. Schultens and Bertheau take ^nifr 
here in the Arabic sense of the word, viz. riches. But this 
is against the rule which binds us to the Hebrew alone, so 
long as the word in question is sufficiently used to make ife 
plain; which is the case here. 6 Mean parsimony tends 
only to poverty,' is the sentiment of the last clause ; and 
this is so significant, that we need not forsake the usual 
meaning of the Hebrew. 

(25) The soul of blessing shall be well nourished; and he who 
waters, even the same shall be watered. 

Soul of blessing, designates here, a man who cheerfully 
imparts blessings. — l^tt , lit. shall be made fat ; the real 
idea is given in the version. — t^yyq , Part. Hiph. of irn ; 
but the following comes from M'JJ , and is Imperf. Hiph., 
the final K being put for the Si, as the vowel-points show, 
§ 74. n. 22. That is : < The liberal man shall be liberally 
treated.' 

(26) He who keepeth back corn — the people shall curse him; but 
blessings shall be on the head of him who procure th grain. 

This refers to those, who, in a time of famine, hoard up 
their stores of corn in order to sell at a very advanced price, 
and thus take advantage of the poor and starving. — Bless- 
ings on the head, because, in the act of blessing, the hands 
of him who blessed were laid on the head of the object of 
blessing. — Hiph. Part, of the denominative verb 

l^^ii , constructed from ISU?,, grain. Hence the Hiph. 
verb, to procure grain. The verb, in other conjugations and 
cases, has a very different sense. 



Part II— Chap. XL 27—31. 251 



(27) He who earnestly seeks after good, will seek for [God's] good 
pleasure ; but as to him who seeketh for evil, it shall come upon him. 

The highest good is the good will of the Lord ; so that a 
seeker for it will make it his object to obtain this. — The 
two first words of the second clause are in the Nom. inde- 
pendent, and are so translated. 

(28) He who trusteth in his riches, he shall fall ; but as a leaf shall 
the righteous blossom. (29) He who troubleth his own house shall 
inherit the wind ; and a servant shall the fool be to him who is of a 
wise mind. 

For v. 28, see Is. 66: 14. Ps. 92 : 13. —Y. 29, He that 
troubleth, etc., seems to refer to mismanagement, or the want 
of proper industry and economy. Such a man will acquire 
nothing valuable, but live as it were upon the wind. Nor is 
this all; such a negligent and slothful manager shall be 
reduced, even to becoming a servant to him who is wise 
enough to be active and economical. 

(30) The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life-, and he whowinneth 
souls is wise. 

The fruit of the righteous man, is the results which he 
produces by his words and actions. These, like a tree of 
life, impart to others a living and animating principle. — 
Winneth souls, lit. taketh soids, but the real meaning here is 
given in the version. It is only a wise man who can do 
this ; and to do it is true wisdom, and one of its noblest 
works. 

(31) If the righteous shall be recompensed in the earth; surely 
then the wicked and the sinner. 

The question is not, whether all the reward of the right- 
eous, or of the wicked, shall be dispensed in the present world ; 
but the text says, first, that here the righteous shall receive 
blessings ; and then, secondly, that the wicked shall surely 
have some retribution, viz. by sudden and premature death ? 



252 Part II— Chap. XI. 31. 



and by the various evils which they must here suffer. If 
God's mercy bestows the one, his justice will inflict the other. 
— Bertheau makes ^3 to mean but not. Row, I am 
unable to see, (consult the Lex.), unless by making the last 
clause a negative interrogatory, so that ^3 £)a must be 
regarded as = Is it truly so that ? which would imply a 
negative; see in Gen. 3:1. Of course, if we adopt this, 
we must render ]ti , at the beginning of the verse by if; as 
it sometimes clearly means. Indeed, with views differing 
from his, I have so translated it in my version. But if 
Bertheau is in the right, (and he may besalvafde), then the 
latter clause must be rendered thus : Is it so indeed, that the 
ivicked and the sinner [will be recompensed '?] If this be 
the sentiment, it looks like denying that adequate recom- 
pense will be made in the present world to the wicked. This 
certainly is true in one sense ; for impenitent sinners do not 
here suffer all which they deserve. But is this truth revealed 
in such a shape, in the Old Testament ? All along we have 
had, continually occurring, the threats of evil to the wicked, 
such as being prematurely cut down, having their hopes 
frustrated, etc. And can we safely build a different mode 
of speaking — one so widely different — on a doubtful gram- 
matical construction ? I have not ventured on this, in my 
version. And if Bertheau be in the right, then I apprehend 
h ,n should be taken interrogatively, as tax often is. We must then 
render thus : Will the righteous be recompensed in the earth ? 
Is it indeed so, then, that the wicked [will be recompensed ?] 
But if these are real questions, we should expect some 
answer. And yet there is none. "We must then regard the 
first clause as an assumption, viz. If the righteous shall be 
reivarded in the earth, (as all concede), then, etc. In this 
case, the sentiment runs thus : 6 Since the righteous receive 
a recompense in such a world of suffering and sorrow as 
this, then doubtless the wicked will also receive a retribution.' 
In other words : ' The providential government of God is one 



Part H— Chap. XL 31. 



253 



of moral retribution ; for both the righteous and the wicked 
have their appropriate recompense under it, even in the 
present world.' There is no necessity of straining these 
words, so as to make them mean, that aU -the reward of 
either class is here given and received. When the apostle 
says, that " Godliness is profitable unto all things, having 
promise of the life that now is," (1 Tim. 4:8), this does not 
hinder him from adding : " and of that which is to come." 
But an addition like this is rare in the Old Testament ; 
indeed, it cannot be found in such a shape. I draw, there- 
fore, from our text this simple sentiment : 6 The retributive 
government of God is exercised over both the righteous and 
the wicked, in the present world, assigning to each their 
appropriate reward.' If the writer reasoned analogically in 
his own mind, he was doubtless ready to say : 6 The like 
retributive government must extend to the other ivorld, as well 
as to this.' But that other world is not explicitly brought to 
view, in the book of Proverbs. 

I cannot see how a negative form can well be given to 
this last clause. Not that grammar stands absolutely in the 
way, but because the whole book everywhere discloses the 
punishment or chastisement of sinners in the present life. 
This lies on the very face of it. This does not, as has 
already been said, deny chastisement in a future world ; for 
of this the writer does not here treat. How then can we 
fairly make out of the last clause a denial of retribution in 
the present world, which is not only everywhere threatened, 
but is also everywhere in the Old Testament historically 
exhibited as matter of fact ? I must therefore abide by 
the sentiment of the version. It will not be in point for 
Bertheau to refer to such texts as Ecc. 9 : 1, 2, 11, 12. 8 : 14, 
and the like ; for these are merely sentiments of an objector. 
Such an attitude the author of the book and chapter before 
us does not assume. 

22 



254 Part II-Chap. XII. 1—4. 



Chap. XII. 1—28. 

(1) He who loveth instruction, loveth knowledge; and he who 
hateth admonition is brutish. 

Instruction and admonition are nearly equivalent here. 
The first, however, is more general ; the second somewhat 
specific. — might be rendered, in our vulgar tongue, is 
a boor ; for this English word looks very much like a deri- 
vate from the Hebrew root. 

(2) The good man shall obtain good will from Jehovah; but the 
man of evil devices will he punish. 

Rare is the use of ilia , as here, for moral good. The 
usual words are pi ^1 , or ^&fi , or D^Ett , to designate what 
we usually name a good man in the moral sense. — nisatE , 
in the bad sense here, which is the more common one. — 
?* , tth;i , lit. shall make guilty, i. e. shall treat as guilty, which 
of course means shall punish. But who does this ? Jeho- 
vah, as the preceding clause shows. 

(3) A man shall not be established by wickedness ; but the root of 
the righteous shall never be moved. 

Wickedness cannot secure enduring prosperity ; but the 
root of the righteous, (who is here tacitly compared to a tree), 
cannot move hither and thither. In this last case, viz. sup- 
posing the root to be moving hither and thither, the standing 
of the tree would then be unstable. 

(4) A virtuous woman is the diadem of her husband ; but like rot- 
tenness in the bones, is she who causeth shame. 

, like the Latin virtus, has two meanings, viz., that of 
strength or fortitude, and also that of probity ; see Heb. Lex. 
No. 4. — Rottenness in the bones, would cause the whole fab- 
ric of the body to crumble and fall. — iTdj^T? , causing shame 9 
viz. by her base conduct. 



Part II— Chap. XII. 5—8. 255 



(5) The purposes of the righteous are justice; but the counsellings 
of the wicked are deceit. 

Purposes are justice, i. e. not his outward actions and 
words merely, but even his internal thoughts and intentions. 
Snibsrift = xyfieovrjaaig, controllings, directions, equivalent to 
counsel in respect to conduct. These are connected with 
fraud. The Hebrew is stronger ( — are justice — are deceit ) 
than the corresponding adjectives. 

(6) The words of the wicked are a lying in wait for blood ; but the 
mouth of the upright will deliver them. 

The wicked concert plans for lying in wait to shed the 
blood of the innocent ; for that such persons are implied, 
seems to result from tbyp ? where the plur. suff. to the verb 
refers to the upright who are in danger, who must be the 
same persons that the wicked wish to destroy. — , with 
short 6, because of the Maqqeph. It is the Inf. nominascens 
of Kal. 

( 7 ) When the wicked are overturned, they are no more ; but the 
house of the righteous shall stand. 

Tp'sri , Inf. abs., which is of all numbers, genders, and per- 
sons, and so may be translated as above. Or we may render 
thus : Is there an overturning of the wicked, or are the wicked 
overturned, then are they no more, i. e. final destruction shall 
succeed their overthrow. The lot of the righteous is the 
reverse of this. They are not overthrown, but remain 
steadfast. 

(8) According to his discretion shall a man be praised; but he who 
is perverse of heart, shall be despised. 

is used as a particle = pro ratione secundum, root HS . 
— IrTOJ in reg. becomes Srroa as in the text, and is a Niph. 
Part, adjective, r. irTO. twh, lit. for contempt, i. e. shall be 
exposed to it. 



256 Part II— Chap. XII. 9—12. 



(9) Better is he who is despised, yet has a servant, than he who 
honoreth himself and lacketh bread. 

Better, not in a moral sense, but as we say, more lucky, or 
better off. — To make ib *i35 mean serve himself (with Um- 
breit), can be done only by shifting the vowels and pointing 
thus : . But this adds nothing to show the betterment, 

which consists in the fact, that the despised person has one 
to aid his labors in the field, and thus procure sufficiency of 
bread, while he who boasts of honors lacks even the 
necessaries of life. Sentiment : 6 Better is the condition of 
a poor man, who has the means under his control of aiding 
his exertions for sustenance, than the nobleman, real or fan- 
cied, who is in a state of starvation.' 

(10) The righteous careth for the life of his beast; but the tender 
mercies of the wicked are cruelty. 

^i*! , taketh knowledge of, careth for ; and so, frequently. 
— 'itnaiia , suff. state of ii^ins . — ^j:?** , prop, adj., but here 
used as a noun — cruelty. 6 While the righteous care even 
for the enjoyment of the brutes, the wicked disregard both 
man and beast/ 

(11) He who tilleth his land shall have plenty of bread ; but he 
who folio weth after vain persons, lacketh understanding. 

safc^ , lit. shall be satiated with, dfib after it being the Acc. 
of the means ; Qamets in pause. The sense is given in the 
version. — Wfp'i , comp. Judg. 9 : 2. 2 Kings 4 : 3, for the 
meaning here given to the word. — It might mean vanities ; 
but this would not alter the general sense of the clause. 
Vain persons here means idle and profligate men, who will 
not labor in order to till their land. 

(12) The wicked desireth an evil net ; but the root of the righteous 
shall be firm. 

Ewald has changed the text until it yields this meaning : 
The desire of the wicked is an evil net ; but the root of the 



Part II— Chap. XII. 13. 



257 



righteous endures, i. e. the wicked wish to ensnare the good, 
but they are frustrated. Others have varied the meaning 
in several ways. All this is unnecessary. The wicked de- 
sires an evil net, i. e. destruction, in the same sense as when 
Wisdom says: "All who hate me, love death" 8:36; and 
also like to 11: 27, " He who seeketh after evil, it shall come 
upon him." Where a false course is preferred to a true one, 
the Hebrews spoke of the man who exhibits such a prefer- 
ence, as loving, seeking after the false course, regardless of 
consequences ; and so here. — As to the root of the righteous, 
see under v. 3. — )t$) is an uncertain word. It comes appa- 
rently from "jnD , which often means put, place, constitute, with 
an object after it. That object may be tanta here, provided 
we make the word God a Nom. to w ( n^ . Still, putting or 
placing does not give a sense altogether appropriate here. 
But there is another verbal root, ta ,r£ , from which b ,nitf , 
strong, firm, comes ; and this seems to me to be the probable 
root of ta ,n^ here. If so, it is to be placed with the third 
class of verbs , whose Yodh radical in the Imperf. assim- 
ilates with the letter that follows, as in the case of verbs )£ ; 
see § 70. Then we have a good sense. The verb so under- 
stood is intrans., and vyd is the Nom. to it. Thus we obtain 
the following version : The root of the righteous shall be firm. 
It is no more strange, to say the least, that Tseri should be 
the last vowel here, than that it should be in the case of 
from h ,rj . Irregular verbs sometimes form the Imperf. in this 
way, § 47. 3. n. 2. This, moreover, makes the sense quite plain 
and easy. — Sentiment : 6 The wicked desire that which will 
destroy them ; but the righteous that which will give them 
firmness and safety.' 

(13) In the transgression of the hps is a snare of the evil man; 
but the righteous shall escape from distress. 

The evil which a man utters, often ensnares him, and 
causes him distress ; but the righteous, who refrains from 
sinning thus, escapes the distress consequent upon sin. 

22* 



258 



Part II— Chap XII. 14—17. 



(14) By the fruit of a man's mouth, he shall abound in good; and 
the reward of a man's hands he shall return to him. 

Fruit of the mouth is what the mouth speaks. The sup- 
position is here, that a righteous man speaks in harmony 
with his character. This shall bring him abundant good. — 
Also what he does, as well as says, will not be useless. The 
reward of his hands, i. e. the reward of what his hands have 
done, he [Jehovah] will return to him. If were Nom. 
to the verb, as some make it, we should expect Sftsh , as the 
Kethibh has it. But adopting in Hiph. (the better 

reading), we must then make Jehovah the Nominative. Of- 
ten elsewhere is this word implied. This gives a good sense. 

(15) The way of a fool is right in his own eyes; hut he who 
hearkeneth to counsel is wise. 

The fool, being self-conceited, feels that he needs no 
counsel; but a man truly wise will cautiously seek for 
counsel, when perplexities arise. 

(16) The fool — his vexation is made known at once; but he who 
concealeth what is shameful is wary. 

Di^s , lit. on the day, i. e. at the very time when his vexa- 
tion arises, he immediately and imprudently discloses it. 
More wary or sagacious (Wi^) is he, who conceals shamefid 
things. The meaning of this last clause is: 'Who keeps 
back from bruiting abroad every shameful slander ; ' or per- 
haps (here), 4 who refrains from immediately manifesting 
his indignation at contumelious treatment, or at shameful 
conduct towards himself.' A fool talks loudly about such 
matters, and takes ready and high offence ; the wise man 
more prudently passes them by in silence. 

(17) He who breatheth forth truth, uttereth that which is right; 
but a false witness — deceit. 

rpBJ , Hiph. of h*i& breathes out or forth, seems to indi- 



- 

Part II— Chap. XII. 18—20. 259 

cate the natural habit (so to speak) of truth-telling, i. e. he 
utters it as habitually and readily as he breathes. The case 
here in view, seems to be that of giving testimony ; for so 
the ( witness) of the next clause indicates. — Deceit, i. e. 
uttereth deceit, for the verb ftf] is to be carried forward men- 
tally, from the first clause, and supplied here. I have imi- 
tated the brevity of the original, in the version, which, by a 
discriminative punctuation, still makes the idea of the writer 
plain. Sentiment: 'A lover of truth will testify truly, 
while a lying witness speaks only to deceive.' 

(18) There are who prate, like the stabbings of a sword; but the 
tongue of the wise is healing. 

riuiis is sing. ; but since it is generic here, I have assigned 
to it a plur. number in the version, because this agrees bet- 
ter with our idiom in such a case. Deep and deadly wounds 
does a iiBia make, like those of a sword. But the wise 
speak in order to soothe or allay wounded feelings, not to 
aggravate them. — KB^e is a noun here, a formative of 
Hiphil, which gives it the additional shade of being causal 
of healing. 

(19) The lip of truth shall stand fast forever; but the tongue of 
falsehood, only for the twinkling of an eye. 

The lip of truth shall be rewarded by steadfastness of safe 
condition. — Lit. ir^sh^"^ , until I shall make a ivink ; for 
W the verb is a Hiph. denominative, derived from stt^ , a wink ; 
and so the Hiph. verb means to make a wink. But in our 
text, the word is employed as a Hiphilic noun with a Prep, 
before it. — Sentiment : 6 A lying tongue shall suddenly be 
destroyed — the very reverse of the safe condition of those 
who speak truth.' 

(20) Deceit is in the heart of those who devise evil ; but to the 
counsellors of peace — joy. 

The meaning of the first clause must be developed by the 



260 



Part II-Chap. XII. 21—24. 



aid of the second. Deceit, then, is the object to be accom- 
plished by devisers of evil, when they give counsel. — But 
peace-counsellors instead of contriving deceit so as to injure 
others, have in their hearts the purpose of making their 
neighbors glad. It may, however, be rendered subjectively 
thus : peace-counsellors shall have joy. But joy seems to be 
the counter-part here of deceit ; and of this evil-devisers are 
not the recipients, but the authors. So of peace-counsellors, 
their object is to become authors of the satisfaction or joy of 
others. 

(21) No calamity shall befall the righteous ; but the wicked shall be 
filled with evil. 

•ijisn , lit. shall be caused to happen, in Hoph. The version 
gives the true sense. — 3H , Ace, governed by a verb of 
filling, § 135. 3. b. — iitfbs is made a virtual Imperf. by the 
Vav prefixed to the clause with which it is connected. If 
the verb stood first, the case would be plain ; but since the 
Nom. here precedes, only for the sake of emphasis, the Vav 
before it exercises its usual power over the verb. This is 
demanded by the connection with irti&O in the Imperfect. 

(22) An abomination of Jehovah are lying lips; but those who 
practice truth are his delight. (23) A wary man concealeth knowl- 
edge ; but the heart of fools proclaims folly. 

V. 22, the doers of truth means those who adhere to it in 
word and work ; comp. the Greek ttoisiv rrjv dlrj&eiav, John 
3 : 21. V. 23, concealeth knowledge, means that he modestly 
forbears to obtrude his knowledge upon others, or is some- 
what shy of displaying it. — On the other hand, the fool has 
so much self-conceit that he cannot forbear displaying his 
folly. Display he will make, at all events ; and if so, it 
must of course be one of folly. 

(24) The hand of the diligent shall bear rule ; but a slothful [hand] 
shall be tributary. 



Part II— Chap. XII. 25, 26. 



261 



The diligent, by his activity, attains to power and influ- 
ence. tX^yi fern. adj. or Part., means lit. deceitful, but as it 
stands opposed here to the hand of the diligent, it here 
virtually means slothful ; for such a hand deceives the hopes 
of those who depend upon its earnings. — t^b , lit. for 
tribute, i. e. it is obliged to become a tributary or a servant 
to the diligent. Sentiment: ' Idleness brings poverty and 
dependence.' 

(25) Sorrow in the heart of a man will bow it down ; but a goodly 
word will gladden it. 

nsnd^, Hiph. Imperf. of ttJTiS, exhibits two apparent 
anomalies ; first, the verb is jnasc, while the Nom. JfJ^ is 
fern. ; secondly, the suff. n|- is fern., while it relates to -nb . 
As to the first, real analogies are quite rare. If the verb 
preceded, the case could be solved on the ground of a kind 
of impersonal use of the verb ; but here the noun precedes, 
and the case is therefore one which is wholly abnormal. 
Still the sense is plain, and unavoidable. As to the two 
fern, suffixes appended to the two verbs, there is little of 
serious difficulty. Nearly all the names of parts of the 
human body are, or may be, treated as nouns feminine. So 
with , which is plainly treated as fern, here ; see a large 
list of these in Ewald, § 174. d. — Goodly word means either 
good tidings, i. e. an announcement that things are going on 
well, or a word of comfort and encouragement. 

(26) The righteous showeth the way to his friend ; but the way of 
the wicked will mislead them. 

nsn; , Hiph. Imperf. of iwi , or its equivalent -nfr , lit. to 
lead one round, i. e. so as to take a survey. — > a pe- 

culiar formation = friend. It seems to be made up of 
)v , from or of, and 2^ ; which is of unfrequent occurrence. 
If the word were a participial of T\T\ , it must be written 
fiSha . Still, the meaning is plain. — to? run , Imperf. Hiph. 
of TOn , with plur. suffix. 



262 



Part II— Chap. XIII. 1. 



(27) The indolent man shall not roast his game ; but a precious 
treasure of any man is a diligent person. 

tivsft , here indolence ; but as it means the indolent man, 
the verb is masc, i. e. it is a case of concord ad sensum. 
The most probable meaning seems to be, that indolence will 
prevent the slothful from catching the game, and so he v/ill 
have none to roast. But perhaps the sentiment is still more 
pointed, viz., he is too lazy to cook his game when caught. 
The text will bear either explanation. — The "p^fi , on the 
other hand, will be sure to obtain game for his employer, 
and so is a treasure to him. 

(28) In the way of righteousness is life; and [in] her path-way is 
no death. 

The Masorites have removed the Mappiq from the In in 
S&yM ; wrongly, as it necessarily refers to ftgjaf . — ME-btf 
I take to be a compound word, in which the h$ is a nega- 
tive like our un in un-do, etc. Comp. Prov. 30 : 31, where 
we find Wpbtf , i. e. btf not, and wp people, meaning, in a 
kind of tropical way, obedient subjects, literally, such as do 
not rise up, i. e. in rebellion, = non-resistants. — Death by 
itself is the opposite of life ; but as no opposition is here 
admissible, a negative is put in, which gives the meaning 
no-death, and this is equivalent to dWi, Generally^ is 
employed in such cases ; e. g. "j 7 ?'^, no-wood, i. e. something 
different from, and opposite to, wood. So i&Tfite, tt^fijr&&, 
tfiaj-Ki , etc. All such combinations approach to our nega- 
tive use of un. 

Chap. XIII. 1—25. 

(1) A wise son is instructed of his father ; but a scorner hearken- 
eth not to rebuke. 

H^fca , as pointed, is a noun in the const, state, so that lit. 
it means instruction, i. e. we have the abstract for concrete ; 



Part II— Chap. XHL 2—5. 26o 



and as concrete, it is rendered in the version above. I pre- 
fer, with Ewald, to assign it to the Part, in Hophal, for then 
we have he who is instructed. Sentiment : ' In order to be 
wise, a father's admonitions must be received ; but scorners 
will not submit to this.' 

(2) Of the fruit of a man's mouth he shall eat good; but the soul 
of the treacherous — violence. 

That is, in case a man speaks what is right and proper, he 
shall eat the good fruit of so doing ; while the soul of him 
who speaks treacherously [shall eat] violence ; i. e. such an 
one will be violently dealt with or treated, by those whom he 
has betrayed. 

(3) He who guardeth well his mouth, preserveth his life; he who 
openeth wide his lips — destruction to him. 

Not unfrequently, anger and slanderous words provoke to 
murderous deeds. To guard well against these, is therefore 
to preserve life. — Openeth wide, speaks, loudly and much, 
such things as provoke assault. — Destruction to him ; may 
be taken as an exclamation optative ; or simply thus : 
destruction will be to him. The latter is more probable. 
Wishes of evil do not appear in this book. 

(4) His soul — the sluggard's — strongly craves, and there is noth- 
ing ; but the soul of the diligent shall be abundantly fed. 

The pronoun in wpl is anticipative, and refers to 
more Syrorum, § 119. 6. n. 3. — There is nothing, because 
the sluggard will do nothing to provide. — )%y^ , lit. shall be 
made fat. The real sense is given in the version. In the 
one case, there is starvation ; in the other, plenty. 

(5) A false report the righteous will hate; but the wicked causeth 
shame and putteth to the blush. 

The wicked man, instead of loathing slander, will so speak 
as to cause others to be ashamed and to blush for him. Pos- 



264 Part II — Chap. XIII. 6—8. 



sibly the last clause may mean: acteth shamefully and 
scandalously ; in which case we must give to Hiphil a Kal 
meaning. 

(6) Righteousness will preserve the innocent in his way; but 
wickedness casts headlong the sinful. 

dtn , torn, short o, because it is in regimen ; ground-form 
fin . — n^rsn (for ritfusn), lit. sin ; but it is a plain case of 
abstract for concrete ; and so it means sinners. 

(7) There is who showeth himself as rich, and yet hath nothing at 
all ; there is who showeth himself as poor, and yet there is much 
wealth. 

In both cases the Hithp. Part, retain that peculiar mean- 
ing of the conjugation which designates pretence, show, §53. 
3. a. Both classes of such men are hypocrites and deceiv- 
ers ; the one for pretending to possess what he does not 
possess, the other for pretending to be worth nothing, (in 
order to cheat his creditors), when in fact he is rich. Sen- 
timent : ' Men will often play the hypocrite for the sake of 
gain.' 

(8) The ransom of a man's life is his riches ; and yet the poor 
heareth not rebuke. 

' Riches will frequently buy off a man from punishment,' 
is the meaning of the first clause. That of the second is 
somewhat obscure. To me it appears thus : 6 Notwithstand- 
ing this obvious advantage of wealth, yet the poor man will 
not listen to those who rebuke him for sloth and wasteful- 
ness, which have made him poor.' The supposition on this 
ground is, that the man is poor by his own fault. Or it is 
thus : ' The rich are inculpated by oppressive magistrates, in 
order to exact money from them in the way of ransom ; the 
poor escape such accusations, because they have nothing to 
give as a ransom.' This is a possible sense ; but hardly the 
more probable one. 



Part II— Chap. XIII. 9—13. 



265 



(9) The light of the righteous is joyful; but the lamp of the 
wicked shall be put out. 

Is joyful, tropically understood, i. e. burns brightly and 
cheerfully, as if rejoicing. The reverse is true of the lamp 
of the wicked. 

(10) Only by pride is strife produced; but with those who take 
counsel is wisdom. 

We may translate the first clause thus : Only by pride one 
produces or occasions strife. The sense is the same as that 
in the version. — d^xsia , Part. Niph. of , denoting mutual 
or reciprocal action, as Niph. often does, § 50. 2. b. Of course, 
taking counsel denotes mutual communication. Those who act 
thus modestly, and do not proudly follow their own opinion, 
will walk in the path of wisdom, and produce no strife. 

(11) Wealth gotten without effort will grow small; but he who 
gathereth into the hand increaseth [it]. 

idh , vanity, nothingness, is a peculiar word for slight effort, 
or no effort. Yet the other clause seems to make this neces- 
sary. The meaning is : 6 Wealth which is in any way obtained 
without industry or effort.' Nothing is more true, than that 
this is often squandered in a little time. But that which is 
gathered by industry, which is collected by handfids, is com- 
monly of that stable character, which secures increase. 

(12) Hope deferred maketh the heart sick ; but a tree of life is the 
desire which is accomplished. 

" We live by hope." When the realization of it is long 
deferred, the heart sinks with discouragement. — Tree of life 
is a vivid image of the animating power of hope when it is 
fulfilled. — naa , spoken of desire, of prophecy, or of a sign 
of something future, means happeneth, or is accomplished, see 
Lex. aim . 2. e. 

(13) He who despiseth the word, shall bring destruction on himself; 
but he who feareth the commandment, is he who shall be at peace. 

23 



266 



Part II— Chap. XIII. 14—16. 



Word, viz., of warning and reproof. — il-rinfT; , Nipha! 
reflexive, with the pronoun of object expressed. The true 
sense is given in the version. — DkttP> lit. shall be made to 
have peace. 

(14) The instruction of the wise man is a fountain of life, that one 
may turn away from the snares of death. 

rvnitn in its original sense here, instruction ; as is quite 
usual in this book. It not only gives life, but it operates so 
as to turn away the unwary from the snares of death. — ^0^, 
is here equivalent to l*iDn (third fern.) with rninfor its Nom. 
Frequently is the Inf. with h employed in such a way ; § 129. 
3. n. 1. Comp. v. 25 below. 

(15) Kindly discretion procureth favor; but the way of the treach- 
erous is stony. 

nluD , kindness, must be associated with discretion or intelli- 
gence, in order to secure favor. — Way of the treacherous is 
"jnra , which last word means, first, lasting, then firm or hard, 
and finally (in poetry) a rock, from its hardness ; see Lex. 
No. 4. A stony way, is one which it is hard to travel. — Hard, 
in our English version, is equivocal. A way literally hard, 
would be easy of travel ; but hard in the sense of difficult, 
gives us what the Heb. aims at, yet not exactly what it ex- 
presses. The Heb. figuratively presents the ground of the 
way as being hard or difficult, viz., because it is stony. 
Treachery will of course render a man's way through life 
very difficult ; for resentment will follow, and many of its 
consequences. It leads into a stony way, and makes rough 
travelling. 

(16) Every wary man will act with foresight; but the fool diffiiseth 
abroad folly. 

means here that kind of knowledge, which has respect 
to what a man is about to do, and therefore = foresight. — 
Spreadeth abroad his folly, namely, by acting without foresight 
All men see, in such a case, what folly he commits. 



Part II— Chap. XIII. 17—20. 



(17) A wicked messenger falleth into trouble; but a faithful ambas- 
sador is healing. 

Wicked here means one who acts deceitfully through sloth ; 
comp. 10 : 26, which expresses the idea fully. A wicked man, 
in the common sense of this phrase, may be, and often is, a 
swift messenger. But wicked as a messenger, is what the 
proverb means ; and this of course means slothful, inactive, 
and therefore disappointing those who send him. — He falls 
into evil, because he is punished by those who sent him, for 
his negligence. — On the other hand, a faithful messenger, 
(1^ , from the root n^s to go round ), is Sto , lit. healing, 
and here soothing or alleviation, i. e. relief from anxiety to 
hear something, respecting the matter of the embassy or 
mission; comp. this last word in 12 : 18. 

(18) Poor and despised is he who rejecteth instruction; but he who 
watchfully observeth admonition shall be honored. 

I'ftgl urn , lit. poverty and contempt, both abstracts, which, 
in the version, I have turned into concretes, because such is 
the real meaning of the words. — "raw? is here used in the 
frequent sense of watchfully observing or attending to. 

(19) Desire accomplished, is sweet to the soul; but it is an abom- 
ination of fools to turn from evil. 

The contrast here implies, that the first clause has respect 
to the desire of the wise. This, it is taken for granted, is for 
good ; and when that good is attained, then is it grateful to 
the spirit of a good man. — On the other hand, fools cling 
with such tenacity to evil, that they will not quit it so as to 
cherish such desires. 

(20) He who walketh with the wise shall be wise; but he who 
delighteth in fools, showeth himself as evil. 

The Kethibh of two verbs should be thus pointed : ■Jjiiii 
. . . osrn , i. e. first the Inf. abs. as a command, and then the 



268 



Part II— Chap. XIII. 21—23. 



Imper. as declaring the sequel ; a common construction, and 
equally good as the Qeri, § 128. 4. I. c. § 127. 2. — In the 
Qeri, darn of the Kethibh is of course read osrij . — SigH 
has here the secondary sense of the word, in which it == 
ttS^i , and is merely a softened form of it. Such a sense of 
the word is frequent in this book; see 15: 14. 28: 7. 29 : 
3, and com p. Lex. — , Imperf. Niph. of 5*1*1 , and reflex- 
ive like Hithp., § 50. 2. e. 

(21) Evil will pursue sinners ; but the righteous will he reward with 
good. 

The Nom. to d!btt3 ta , ( because of Maqqeph), is Jehovah ; 
which word is very often omitted in these apothegms, for 
the sake of brevity ; but only in cases where it is readily 
supplied. The Piel verb here governs, as usual, two Accu- 
satives, § 136. 1. 

(22) The good man makes heirs of .children's children; but the 
wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just. 

We cannot exactly imitate the Heb. as to form, 

since it governs the Acc. directly. But the version comes 
near to this. — Laid tip for the just, the wealth which the 
sinner lays up, is speedily dissipated, or by his premature 
death it soon goes to others. God regards it as treasured 
up for the just, and often appropriates it in this way. 

(23) The fallow-ground of the poor [yields] an abundance of food ; 
and there are, who are taken away by reason of injustice. 

The Hebrew implies is where I have inserted yields, be- 
cause this word is more accordant with our idiom. The 
second clause, by its contrast, leads us to understand poor 
here, as meaning the righteous poor; for unless they are 
righteous, this promise does not enure to them. — E&OT , 
see what is said of such combinations in Heb., under 12 : 28. 
Maqqeph should be inserted here between the words, as it 
is there. Lit. by not-justice, i. e. by injustice, as in the ver- 



Part II— CnAr. XIV. 1. 



2 09 



sion. — ii&W refers to the violent death which is threatened 
and frequently ensues, after flagrant acts of injustice. Sen- 
timent : 6 The righteous poor have their wants supplied ; 
the unjust perish because of their wickedness or oppression.' 

(24) He who withholdeth the rod hateth his son ; but he who loveth 
him, earnestly seeketh his instruction. 

Hateth his son, i. e. treats him as real hatred might well 
dictate. So it is said : " Those who hate me, love death ; " 
If any man come to me, and hate not his father, etc." A 
common idiom, in Hebrew, and a very energic one. — 
TlfitD , Piel with suff. ; and this suff. is anticipative of lto*rca , 
and related to it. This mode of phraseology is designed for 
intensity, although our Grammars call it pleonasm ; § 119. 
6. n. 3. But it may be, that the Acc. i- is for the Dat., and 
means for him, § 119. 4. We are not obliged to understand 
rod here in the mere literal sense; but it means at least cor- 
rection in some way for faults. 

(25) The righteous eateth to the satisfying of his appetite ; but the 
stomach of the wicked shall be empty 

For the first clause, comp. 10 : 3. — jvz , lit. belly ; and then, 
any of the principal viscera contained in it, e. g. the stomach, 
the womb, etc. — "tor^ (Qamets in pause), lit. shall be lacking. 

Chap. XIV. 1—35. 

(1) A woman's wisdom buildeth up her house; but folly teareth 
it clown with her own hands. 

hi^n , plur. for the simple abstract noun, which therefore 
may take a verb singular, (concord ad sensum) ; see on 
1: 20. — ta^ttk, plur., of women, i. e. such wisdom as belongs 
to women, or such as becomes them. The version is a shade 
more specific. — Her house, if referred to wisdom, (as the 
grammar seems to require), must mean the house where she 

23* 



270 



Part II— Chap. XIV. 2, 3. 



dwells. — Teareih it down with her own hands, viz., the hands 
of folly. The -iS- refers to ma , which is usually masc. 

(2) He who walketh in his integrity, feareth God; but he who is 
perverse as to his ways, despiseth him. (3) In the mouth of a fool, 
haughtiness is a rod ; but as to the lips of the wise, they shall preserve 
them. 

Y. 2. tity* const, state. — The same is true of tftfc, Part. 
Niph. — nntiS ? Part, of fttS with suff. — V. 3, Haughtiness 
is a rod, i. e. he speaks so haughtily as to bring chastise- 
ment — a rod — upon himself. On the other hand, what the 
wise utter will conduce to their safety. — d^tjn , Imperf. 
third plur. fern., with *i in order to prolong the sound before 
a pause, (as in § 47. 3. n. 1). Still there is an anomaly 
here, which nearly or quite all of the critics have failed to 
explain, and most of them even to notice. The full third 
fern. plur. Imperf., without suffix, would be fiina'&n , the suff. 
form, srrattJP) , see § 59, (here ^itoafi), and with suff. trt^mdn ; 
whereas we now have, instead of Wi- which is the normal 
ending, the syllable . But Tseri is the union- vowel of 
the suff. to the third sing. Imperf., and si to the third plur., 
whether masc. or fern. The pointing is therefore plainly 
anomalous. Scbelling (Comm. in loc.) says, that an ancient 
error scribarum has put D^Wtfn for the proper d^TQllSn, by a 
transposition of the >i . It may be so ; but this does not ac- 
count for the Ci T form of the suff, instead of trt- . Gesenius 
(Lehrgeb. s. 306, No. 10) puts the verb here in the 2d pers. 
sing. ; against the usage of the book, which makes no such 
transitions of person as belong to lyric and prophetic poetry. 
The suff. is masc. plur., because it refers to the wise. The 
•1 after the ^ is dropped out in writing, plainly because of 
the i! inserted before it ; but then it should still be written 
d^ (not tn). Of course we are compelled to admit an error 
here in the vowel ; or else to admit a peculiar anomaly in 
pointing, for which an analogon has not yet been produced. 
Of the meaning of the passage, as a whole, there is no room 
for doubt. 



Part II— Citap. XIV. 4—7. 



271 



(4) Where there are no oxen, the stall is empty; and there is an 
abundance of productions through the strength of cattle. 

Where no oxen are employed, the stalls are not filled ; but 
where the strength of cattle is employed, there increase of 
produce will be the result. — is generic. 

(5) A faithful witness will not speak lies; but he who breatheth 
forth falsehood, is a lying witness. 

That is, he who habitually indulges in falsehood. — rpSJ 
breathes it forth — will do the same thing when called to 
testify. 

(6) The scorner seeketh wisdom, and there is none; but knowledge 
is easy to the understanding man. 

Knowledge is the gift of God to sincere seekers ; but the 
scorner belongs not to them, and therefore may seek and 
not find. — , Part. Niph. of ibg . But the gender is 
masculine, although rOT is the subject. This brings into 
view an important class of exceptions to concord in gender. 
It seems that Inf. forms, even when fern, to appearance, are 
sometimes treated as abstracts without any really appropriate 
gender, and may resolve themselves of course, in such cases, 
into the leading gender, i. e. the masculine. So in Prov. 
16:16. 29 : 25. Ps. 73 : 28. See also for , Prov. 2 : 10. 
Job 33 : 3. And sometimes this same license is abnormally 
extended to other nouns, which are not fern. Infinitives ; e. g. 
in 12: 25 above, also Job 8 : 7. Ezek. 7: 25. Josh. 2: 17. 
See Ewald, § 174. g, who has more extensively developed 
this idiom, than any other grammarian. 

(7) Go from the presence of a foolish man, for thou hast not dis- 
cerned the lips of knowledge. 

That is, quit the company of fools, for they can teach thee 
nothing. Thou hast knocked at the wrong door, to find 
what thou seekest, if thou goest to them. It is not there, 
and therefore thou hast not discerned it. 



272 



Pakt II— Chap. XIV. 8—13. 



(8) The wisdom of the wary man discerns his way; but the folly 
of fools is deceit. 

The wary consider and understand the way in which they 
go ; but fools, through inconsideration, are deceived as to 
their way, and are easily misled. They have not sufficient 
wisdom to discern the right way. 

(9) Sin-offering mocks fools ; but among the upright there is ready 
acceptance. 

Not, as most interpreters : Fools mock at sin-offering, for 
then the verb must be plural. — taiga is plainly the Nom, ; and 
the meaning is, that when sin-offering is formally presented 
by fools, it mocks their hopes, because it is not accepted. 
Exactly the reverse is it with the upright. Their offerings 
find "jiun , good-will, i. e. ready acceptance. 

(10) The heart knoweth its own bitterness; and with its joy a 
stranger cannot intermeddle. 

In other words : 6 Men learn by experience the bitterness 
of suffering, better than any one can tell them ; and others 
are not altogether adequate judges.' — And so with enjoy- 
ment ; it is subjective, and therefore not fully cognizable by 
any intermeddler. 

(11) The house of the wicked shall be destroyed; but the tent of 
the upright shall flourish. (12) There is a way which is right in the 
view of a man, and yet the end thereof are the ways of death. 

For v. 11, comp. 12 : 7. — V. 12, Tsfci = in the view 

of. — Wags of death, plur. of intensity, = the sure way of 
death. 

(13) Even by laughter the heart is made sad ; and the end of joy 
itself is sorrow. 

That is : 6 There are cases where laughter is premature, 
and is quickly turned into sorrow.' So things in which we 
rejoice at first., sometimes become the occasion of grief. 



Part II— Chap. XIV. 14—17. 273 



The suff. to ftrWriK is anticipative of ttfiBta , and relates to 
it; see under 13:4. This expresses intensity; which is 
also exhibited in the version above. 

(14) He shall be satiated with his own ways, who turneth back 
with his heart ; but away from him is the good man. 

In lb Ato , the first is a Part, pass., lit. the phrase means 
turned back of heart, which we are obliged to modify some- 
what, in our idiom. — His ways, are evil ways, and there- 
fore will meet with ample retribution. — has occasioned 
much perplexity. Some have changed it into other words, 
significant of works, retribution, etc. It means, however, as it 
is translated above ; and the sentiment is, that the good man 
will keep aloof from him who turns back. He will not asso- 
ciate with him, while in this apostatizing condition. 

(15) The simple will credit every report; but the wary will give 
heed to his steps. 

A mark of folly is excessive credulity ; and by this the 
simpleton is misled. But the wary man will, as we say, 
look before he leaps. — , is sing. ; but our idiom requires 
the plural. 

(16) A wise man feareth, and turneth away from evil; but the fool 
is haughty and confident. 

^SStTQ, usually means : is enraged ; but here it is opposed 
to the modest and humble course of the wise, and means to 
act haughtily ; see in Lex. The fool is, from self-conceit, 
haughty, and confident in his own opinion. He fears not 
evil. 

(17) He who is hasty in his anger, committeth folly; and a man of 
evil devices will be hated. 

tF&k "isp, is a peculiar phrase. The opposite is in v. 29 
below, viz., te^Ba Spa ; lit. short of anger, and long of anger. 
-i^p is the const, of n^jj, § HI. 2. It is singular, that the 
nostrils should have been pitched upon by the Hebrews, as 



274 



Pakt II— Chap. XIV. 18—20. 



the most expressive symbol of anger. This passion does 
indeed inflate and distend the nostrils, and sometimes express 
itself by snorting ; but the eye is more significant of it, as 
we are apt to think. Yet however this may be, the sec- 
ondary sense of is anger, rage. Short (^p) of anger 
means hasty to become angry, i. e. no delay is given to it. — 
In the latter clause, rfiatE is taken by Berth, in the good 
sense = consideration ; and he makes out the sense thus : 
' A man of prudent consideration will be hated, i. e. provided 
he does evil.' But whence comes this last supplement? I 
see no special ground for it. On the other hand, Umbreit 
and J. H. Michaelis render as above ; and so doing, all is 
plain. Comp. 24 : 8 and 12 : 16. 

(18) The simple inherit folly; but the wary are crowned with 
knowledge. 

ipi^^ , in Hiph. ; but as there is no Kal, it is here used 
in an intransitive way, and may be rendered passively as 
above. So Gesenius : coronantar intelligent a, in Lex. Lit. 
it would run thus : Make a crown of knowledge. 

(19) The evil bow down before the good; yea, the wicked at the. 
gates of the righteous. 

That is, the wicked, bow down (from the first clause), be- 
fore the gates of the righteous. The first clause represents 
them as suppliants in poverty, addressing the righteous ; the 
second makes the sentiment more specific, representing them 
as beggars at the door of their righteous neighbors. — *irTO, 
Kal Perf., from MTO, Dagh. omitted in because of the 
Guttural. 

(20) Even by his neighbor is the poor man hated; but they who 
love the rich are many. 

This has respect to the negligence and coldness with 
which the poor are usually treated, even by their neighbors 
who best know their wants ; while the rich find many pro- 



Part II— Chap. XIV. 21—24. 275 

fessed friends and flatterers — a true but sad picture of 
what is happening every day. 

(21) He who despiseth his neighbor, is a sinner ; but he that show- 
eth mercy to the poor — blessed is he ! 

This verse is designed as a sequel to the preceding one, 
which states the fact as to the treatment of the poor. Such 
conduct is sinful. But he that showeth mercy, will draw down 
blessings upon himself. 

(22) Do not those err who devise iniquity? But merciful and trusty 
are they who devise good. 

Mercy and truths are abstracts for merciful and truthful. 
The devising of good, here refers to the good which is devised 
in regard to the poor. Such as devise it are merciful to the 
poor, and faithful or true to their duty as humane men. 

(23) In all toil there is profit ; but the word of the lips tendeth only 
to want. 

That is : 6 Every sort of doing is attended with profit ; but 
lip-doings are rewarded by want' The word of the lips 
means, of course, that which the lips utter. Here, prating 
is in view, i. e. the much speaking or utterance of what is 
useless and mischievous. This makes a man hated, and 
causes him to be neglected by those who might employ him 
in labor that would yield some profit. The consequence is 
want or poverty. Is only to want, strictly follows the Hebrew ; 
but in our idiom we usually say : tends only to want, and so 
I have translated. 

(24) A crown of the wise is their wealth; but the elevation of fools 
is folly. 

The wealth which the wise acquire, instead of being fool- 
ishly squandered, is used in such a way as to be an ornament 
to them. — But high dignity conferred on fools, only makes 
their folly conspicuous, and serves not at all to adorn them. 



276 Part II— Chap. XIV. 25, 26. 



That the first rfbj&ji here has a different meaning from the 
second, seems to be nearly certain. Otherwise we must 
translate thus: The folly of fools is folly ; which would be 
merely a tame truism of little significance. Truisms are not 
the order of the day, in this book. The proverb plays upon 
the two senses of apparently the same word, and its point 
consists in their difference of meaning. The old root, , 
is expressive first, of strength, might; hence i>tf, God, or the 
mighty One. Secondly, it designates, (as would naturally 
follow from the first meaning), heing powerful or having 
power, as, e. g. a prince or a king. So the Arabic iia (av-val ) 
means prince, primus ; and the Heb. d^a and d^a mean 
potentates. Of course rfpjitf , derived from the root now in 
question, may mean principatus, premiership, elevation in 
rank. But the second rf^a comes from Via , to be foolish. 
In this way, the proverbial saying becomes a striking paro- 
nomasia ; which, in apothegms, is quite frequent in all lan- 
guages. We have then this sentiment : 4 While riches are 
so employed by the wise as to become an ornament to them, 
high rank bestowed on a fool, instead of serving to honor 
him, only manifests more conspicuously his folly. It sets 
him up as a mark of observation and contempt.' Bertheau 
has taken a different course, but, as it seems to me, a much 
less significant one, viz., The foolish perversion of riches is 
folly. But I do not see whence we can readily deduce the 
first part of this explanation. 

(25) A faithful witness saveth lives; but he who breatheth forth 
falsehoods, is a deceiver. 

Saves lives, viz., those lives which are endangered by false 
accusations ; but he who utters falsehoods is a deceiver, i. e. 
is treacherous to the cause of truth and justice. — tvyya , lit. 
deceit, but here used as abstract for concrete. The meaning 
is' given in the version. 

(26) In the fear of Jehovah is strong confidence ; and to his sons 
there shall be a refuge. 



Part II— Chap. XIV. 27—30. 277 



The first clause is descriptive of a person who fears God, 
although he is not named, but only characterized. Hence, 
in the second clause, we find }i£ai , to his sons. Whose ? 
The answer must be : The sons of him who fears God. 
Sentiment : c Piety is a ground of confidence for one's self 
and children.' 

(27) The fear of Jehovah is a fountain of life, to depart from the 
snares of death. 

Comp. 13 : 14. The fear of God answers the double pur- 
pose of being in itself a source of life, and also a means of 
escaping from death. 

(28) The glory of a king is in a numerous people; but in the lack 
of people is the destruction of a prince. 

fifi is taken by Gesenius and some otners here, as == ■jt'hj 
prince. Such forms, in a like sense, occur occasionally, and 
they are grammatically possible ; e. g. pw$ and pttjis? . But 
if we derive "pVj from fin , to make slender or lean, then we 
must translate the two last words thus : Is destructive leanness, 
viz., to the king. This makes good sense ; but the other 
makes the parallelism more exact. 

(29) He who is slow to anger, has much understanding; but he who 
is of a hasty spirit, setteth folly on high. 

For d*]5K tpj* , see remarks on v. 17. — h*n 'ngp, is of the 
like nature and opposite meaning. — d^E , Hiph. Part, of 
W\ , here means not to elevate in the usual sense of exalting, 
but to set on high, so as thus to make it a conspicuous object. 

(30) The life of the flesh is a soothing heart ; but a rottenness of 
the bones is passionate vehemence. 

, plur., only here. The plur. form can hardly be 
here regarded as expressive of an abstract noun, or as one 
of mere intensity. There is no place, at least no demand, 
for either meaning. I should incline, with Bertheau, to put 
24 



278 Part H— Chap. XIV. 31, 32. 



the form, in this case, to the account of designed parallelism 
of form, or of rhythm, with the plural mia^g . But perhaps 
b^-^to is to be taken in the extensive sense of the plur., and 
if so, it = the entire body. — The Part, adjective Kfi'ro stands 
opposed to i"JN5p — soothing in contrast with exciting. — Rot- 
tenness of the bones, would be a thorough destruction of the 
human frame ; and is intensive in its meaning. — > is 
sometimes envy, then jealousy, and next indignation; but 
here its generic meaning, passionate vehemence, is most 
congruous. 

(31) He who oppresseth the poor, reproacheth his Maker; but he 
honoreth him, who hath compassion on the poor. 

God made the poor, and ordered their condition ; reproach 
for mere poverty is therefore out of place, and a kind of 
impiety. Of course the meaning is here limited, in some 
good measure, to such as are poor by birth or misfortune, and 
extends not to the poor who have become so by sloth and 
crime. Yet even these, although they may be made amenable 
to justice, ought not to be oppressed. — He honoreth him, i. e. 
honoreth God, who, etc. Our verb compassionate, used 
actively, would take an Acc. after it, like the Heb. *)in . 
Comp. 17:5. 22 : 2. But I have preferred the more usual 
phraseology in the version. 

(32) In his baseness the wicked is thrust away; but the righteous 
hath confidence in his death. 

Thrust away, viz., taken suddenly away out of life. " The 
wicked shall not live out half their days." The righteous 
man, on the contrary, n&h , exercises trust or confidence, when 
he dies. How ? or why ? are questions for those to answer, 
who deny that the Hebrews had any hope of a future state. 
If they had not, then what is the ground or source of hope or 
confidence, in a dying hour ? This verse must be a real prob- 
lem for those who have such views of the state of knowledge 



Part II— Chap. XIV. 33—35. 



279 



among the Hebrews. If there was nothing beyond the grave, 
in their view, on what is the hope or confidence here spoken 
of fixed? 

(33) In the heart of the understanding dwelleth wisdom; but what 
is within fools shall be made known. 

Divelleth, tWn , rests, quietly abides. The Heb. is stronger 
than the version. — S^g"? answers to , and means the inner 
part, the mind or heart, not the mere physical interior. — 
Shall be made known, — what ? The only answer seems to be, 
wisdom, (the verb is fern.). Of course, the latter part of the 
verse is a pointed saying, an oxymoron, q. d. while wisdom 
dwells quietly in the breast of the intelligent, a fool parades 
his boasted wisdom, and makes it known to all men. The 
passage is well and fully illustrated by 12 : 23. 13 : 16. 15:2. 
In the second case, therefore, wisdom is implied, but the word 
is employed ironically = such wisdom as belongs to fools. 

(34) Righteousness exalteth a nation ; but sin is the reproach of 
any people. 

^i&n , reproach, being a sense of the word which is rare in 
the Hebrew, but very common in Aramaean. — W^sb , the 
sing, is rarely employed ; the plur. is designed to signify the 
people en masse or collectively considered, i. e. it is the plur. 
of extension. 

(35) The good will of a king is toward a discreet servant; but he 
who behaveth shamefully, will be the object of his indignation. 

Bertheau prefers to supply h before tt5lM , and translates 
thus : And his anger will be to the base servant. This is well 
enough as to sense and grammar ; but the other method, as 
in the version, is more significant and energic. 



280 



Part II-Chap. XV. 1—7. 



Chap. XV. 1—33. 

(1) A soft answer turneth away wrath: but bitter words heighten 
anger. 

Bitter words, lit. a word of grievousness, so to speak. — 
!"&3!5 5 Hiph. causes to rise, heightens. Nothing excites anger 
so often and so much as bitter words. 

(2) The tongue of the wise maketh knowledge grateful ; but the 
mouth of fools will pour out foolishness. 

i-^in , may be rendered, makes knowledge good. So 
Bertheau ; but the true idea I take to be expressed in the 
version. When the wise speak, it is in such a way as to 
make the instruction grateful to those who listen. — Spk] , 
(from 255), makes to gush forth, a very strong expression. 

(3) The eyes of Jehovah are in every place, watching the evil and 
the good. (4) Softness of the tongue is a tree of life 5 but perverse- 
ness therewith is a crushing of spirit. 

nisis , watching, is more intense than beholding. — Soft- 
ness of the tongue, means mild and pacifying language. — A 
tree of life is a vivid image of life-giving power. — rf^$ , lit. 
in spirit. The meaning is given in the version ; and in Is. 
65 : 14 we have the same words, with the prep, a omitted. 

(5) A fool despises the instruction of his father; but he who re- 
gardeth admonition shall become wary. (6) In the house of the 
righteous there is much wealth ; but the gain of the wicked is a 
trouble. 

V. 5, d^i??, lit. shall act warily, which, however, is sub- 
stantially expressed in the version. — V. 6, rfS , Acc. of 
place, in the house, as we express it. The Heb. might use 
in (a), but needed it not. — nSbM (in Pause), Part, noun, of 
Niph. formation, meaning disturbance, inquietude. 

(7) The lips of the wise disperse knowledge ; but the heart of the 
fool is not stable. 



Part II— Chap. XV. 8—10. 



281 



j Piel Imperf. of i-rS] . — 1^5"^ , may be, and often is, 
rendered is not so, i. e. is not so that it scatters knowledge. 
So Chald. and Vulgate ; but the Sept. and Syr. render as 
above. This gives a better sense ; for the meaning is, that 
the heart of the fool has not steadfastness enough to select 
or retain a firm position, so as to aid others by good counsel. 

(8) The sacrifice of the wicked is the abomination of Jehovah ; but 
the prayer of the upright is his delight. (9) An abomination of Je- 
hovah is the way of the wicked ; but he will love him who followeth ^ 
after righteousness. 

The sacrifice of the wicked, and so the prayer of the wicked, 
and the way of the wicked, are all an abomination to Jehovah. 
Why? Because he sees no sincerity or real humility in 
any of them, inasmuch as all is done for the sake of appear- 
ance, or at most, through terror of punishment. — tffy? , is 
Piel, and intensive = habitually pursues. 

(10) A grievous chastisement is for him who forsaketh the way; 
he who hateth admonition shall die. 

The way is the way of Jehovah, i. e. that which he pre- 
scribes. — Shall die, is a phrase which we often meet with, 
in connection with commination for offences. Sometimes it 
is explained by phrases significant of sudden death, early 
death, premature or violent death, and the like. But at other 
times, it occurs, as here, unexplained by any additions. 
How much are we to attribute to it ? To say that it threatens 
punishment, is saying only what lies of course upon the face 
of it. But what punishment ? and how much ? These are 
more difficult questions. Clearly all sinners are not pun- 
ished in this world, either with sudden, or violent, or prema- 
ture death. The Psalmist often complains of their flourish- 
ing condition, and of there being " no bands in their death." 
And every day we see the like at the present time. If then, 
under these expressions, the Hebrews did not suppose there 
lay some threat of future retribution, what did or could 

24* 



282 Part IL-Chap. XV. 11. 



they make of them? That their views on the subject 
were somewhat indistinct, as to various particulars, no one 
well informed on the subject will venture to deny. But 
I know not who can fairly read the book of Ecclesiastes, and 
deny all definite views among the Hebrews in regard to this 
matter. Let him ponder well the following passages, viz., 
3: 16, 17. 8: 11—13. 11: 9. 12: 13, 14. It is indeed true, 
that when the book before us was written, " life and immor- 
tality had [not] been brought to light." But can we make 
out anything significant, or really intelligible, in the passage 
before us, and in other like passages, without supposing the 
Hebrews to have looked to some future retribution ? To 
say to the wicked man : Thou shalt die, if we mean merely 
a natural and ordinary death, is saying no more than Provi- 
dence says, every day, to the good as well as to the wicked. 
To say that all of the wicked die, or shall die, a sudden, vio- 
lent, premature death, is saying what is most evidently not a 
matter of fact or truth. What then did or could a Hebrew 
mean by such phraseology ? This question necessarily forces 
itself upon us. I trust the phrase in question has some 
meaning ; and if it has one which is intelligible, it would 
seem to be, that the idea of future retribution must have 
entered into the minds of those who employed this language. 
Otherwise no meaning, which is at the same time both sig- 
nificant and true, can well be attached to it. 

(11) The Under-world and Destruction are before Jehovah ; surely 
then the hearts of the children of men. 

Sheol and Abaddon are two different names for one and 
the same place. Sheol is properly the region of the dead ; 
and fttSS, the place of destruction; and this last phrase 
characterizes, in another way, the world of the dead, i. e. 
the place where their bodies are destroyed, or the world which 
is deep beneath, and therefore dark and obscure. But God 
sees even this, — however dark ; much more then are human 



Part II— Chap. XV. 12—16. 



283 



hearts all open and plain before his sight. " I, the Lord, 
search the heart." 

(12) A scorner will not love his reprover ; unto the wise he will not 
go. (13) A merry heart maketh comely the face; but by vexation 
of heart, the spirit is broken. 

He will not go to the wise, because he hates reproof, and 
expects that they will administer it. — A merry heart here 
means merely a joyful one. — Maketh comely or fair the face, 
because joy lights it up with hope and with smiles, and so 
makes it look pleasant. 

(14) An intelligent mind will seek earnestly after knowledge; but 
the mouth of fools will delight in folly. 

For (so Kethibh) read with the Qeri ; for the verb 
which follows is in the singular. — hg'yi , in its secondary 
sense, namely delight in = MS'i , see Lex. The mouth will 
delight' in, means that it will utter readily and in abundance 
foolish words. 

(15) All the days of the afflicted are sad; but cheerfulness of heart 
is a perpetual feast. 

It is plain that here means sad, (as often elsewhere), 
from the contrast presented in the verse. Cheerfulness, 
which is lasting and diffuses itself over all our actions and 
enjoyments, is not merely like a feast which is temporary, 
but is like a perpetual feast, i. e. an enduring source of 
pleasure. 

(16) Better is a little, with the fear of Jehovah, than much treas- 
ure, and trouble therewith. 

Trouble or perturbation refers to the perplexity and solici- 
tude, that usually accompany the possession of riches. The 
efforts for the safe keeping of them, the fear of losses and 
the like, occasion of course much anxiety. How insignifi- 
cant then the pleasure of wealth, in comparison with that 
of piety, even in moderate circumstances ! 



284 



Part II— Chap. XV. 17—21. 



(17) Better is a dinner of herbs and love therewith, than a stalled 

ox and hatred therewith. 

A further development of the trouble which wealth occa- 
sions. If he, who can feed on stalled oxen, is exposed to 
hatred and envy because of his wealth, then his neighbor 
who feeds on herbs, in quietude and without molestation or 
envy, is much the happier man. — nrtn&j; , viaticum, meal, such 
as an irjw ( traveller) takes on his journey, i. e. plain and 
coarse food. 

(18) An angry man will stir up strife ; but he who is slow to anger, 
will appease contention. 

The sentiment is plain. See nearly the same ideas, in 
29:22. 28:25. 

(19) The way of the slothful is like a thorn-hedge ; but the way of 
the upright is a high-way. 

A thorn-hedge presents impassable obstructions to the trav- 
eller, at least very annoying ones. Not so with (he upright ; 
their way is elevated ; and the idea of elevating a way, is 
that of constructing a way like what we call a turn-pike road. 
In other words : 6 The way of the upright is plain and easy ; 
that of the wicked, greatly obstructed.' 

(20) A wise son will make a glad father; but a foolish man de- 
spiseth his mother. 

Comp. 10 : 1. The wise listeneth to parental advice ; the 
foolish despise it, and so give pain to the adviser, instead of 
making him glad. 

(21) Folly is joy to him who lacketh understanding; but the man 
of intelligence will make straight his going. 

To commit folly is his delight, is the meaning of the first 
clause. — rai , Inf. fern, of ; lit. then, the two last words 
mean : Will take a straight course to go. The sense of the 
words is given in the version, in a way conformed to our 



Part II— Chap. XV. 22—25. 285 



idiom ; but the real meaning is a moral one = will act 
uprightly and not deceitfully. 

(22) Plans without counsel are frustrated; but by the increase of 
counsellors, there shall be stability. 

mt%i Inf. abs. Hiph. of ifflgj § *28. 4. b; lit. there is a 
frustration. — Ertpfr is also quasi impersonal, and may be 
rendered as in the version ; comp. in Is. 7: 7, for the mean- 
ing. If we render strictly, it must be thus : It shall stand 
firm, where the pronoun it refers to the whole concern or 
undertaking ; or we may naturally enough supply the con- 
jugate noun that corresponds to b^i* (Part.) which would 
be ns? . The sense is substantially the same in either way. 

(23) There is joy to a man in the answer of his mouth; and a 
word spoken in its season — how goodly ! 

That is, a man has joy in answering with goodly or timely 
words. It is a source of satisfaction, to have such an 
answer in his power. C. B. Michaelis and others : There is 
rejoicing (on the part of others) over the man who answers, 
etc. But h can hardly be brought to the meaning of over 
here, nor is the sense improved by thus translating. 

* (24) The way of life to the wise is upward that he may turn away 
from the Under-world beneath. 

Upward is here employed as the antithesis of Jiee , down- 
ward, beneath. In other words, he chooses his way so as to 
keep himself in the region above, and not in the abyss below. 
— STlSE is in pause, for jibe ; and this is compounded of be, 
a low place, and Ji- local, for the regular accent of the word 
is on the penult, which shows that in- is local, and not radical. 

(25) The house of the proud Jehovah will demolish ; but he will 
establish the border of the widow. 

House probably means here family or household; or it is 
like our familiar word establishment. Instead of demolishing, 



286 



Part II— Chap. XV. 26—31. 



he will render firm and secure, the domains of the widow.— 
n&\ , Imperf. of fi&J. 

(26) An abomination of Jehovah are the devices of evil ; but words 
of comity are pure. 

135b , suavity, pleasantness, or as in the version. — Are pure, 
i. e. in the eyes of Jehovah, the opposite of that which is 
abomination in his view. Pure = acceptable, i. e. the case 
is like to that of an offering, which must be pure in order to 
be accepted. 

(27) He troubleth his house, who acquireth unrighteous gain; but 
he who hateth bribes shall live. 

The gain in question is plainly that which results from 
bribes, as the latter clause shows. The supposition is that 
of being bribed, in the case of deciding as a judge. The 
honest judge who refuses such gifts, shall be prospered. 

(28) The heart of the righteous meditateth on an answer 5 but the 
mouth of the wicked gushes forth with malignity. 

Meditates on an answer, because he is anxious to give a 
right and true one. The wicked makes no scruple to belch 
forth malignant things. — nis^ , plur. of intensity. 

(29) Far removed is Jehovah from the wicked; but the prayer of 
the righteous will he hear. (30) The light of the eyes rejoiceth the 
heart ; a good report maketh the bones to nourish. 

Light of the eyes is that which the eyes see ; just as good 
report is what the ears hear. There is an implied compari- 
son here, viz. : As the light rejoices, etc., so a good report ren- 
ders one's state or condition pleasant. — nyy (in pause) here 
in the singular, but it is generic. — Of course, m )WTft has a 
secondary or tropical meaning here, as given in the version. 

(31) The ear which heareth the reproof of life, shall dwell in the 
midst of the wise. 



Part H— Chap. XVI. 1, 2. 



287 



Reproof of life, is that which leads to life, or which ad- 
monishes respecting the way of life. Hearkening to this, is 
of course the way in which the path of life and of wisdom 
is to be found. 

(32) He who rejecteth instruction despisetli his own life; but he 
who hearkeneth to reproof, acquireth understanding. 

Here again we meet with that peculiar and forcible idiom 
of the Hebrew, despiseth his oivn life, i. e. treats it as though 
he despised it — makes no provision for its safety and wel- 
fare. The phrase is of the same tenor as the following : 
All that hate me love death ; He that cometh to me, and hateth 
not his father, etc. 

(33) The fear of Jehovah is the instruction of wisdom j and before 
honor is humility. 

That is : 6 Without the fear of Jehovah, wisdom cannot be 
acquired ; ' or in other words : ' Wisdom counsels to fear 
God.' — This necessarily implies humility ; and therefore, in 
order to obtain honor from him, humility must precede the 
gift. 

Chap. XVI. 1—33. 

(1) The preparations of the heart appertain to man; but from 
Jehovah is the answer of the tongue. 

Preparations of the heart, are what the heart devises or 
intends. But answer of the tongue, is an answer to that 
winch the tongue utters, viz., its requests. God only can 
accomplish what is desired. The German maxim is very 
appropriate here : Man denht ; Gott lenkt. 

(2) All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes ; but Jehovah 
weigheth the spirits. 

Comp. 21: 2. 24: 12, the same as this verse, with only a 
little variation of phraseology. A man, who judges all his 
own conduct to be pure, judges wrongly ; but he will be 



288 Part II— Chap. XVI. 3, 4. 

corrected by him who impartially weighs and scans the 
spirits of men, and whose judgment is unerring. 

(3) Cast upon Jehovah thine undertakings, and thy plans shall be 
established. 

, Imper. of , lit. roll, devolve ; we say, in such a 
case — cast upon, etc. Comp. Ps. 22:9 (10). 37:5. In 
other words : 6 Look to God in all thine undertakings, and 
he will give accomplishment to them.' 

(4) Jehovah hath made everything for its purpose; yea, even the 
wicked for the day of evil. 

^M^sb has been misunderstood by most of the ancient 
interpreters, and by many modern ones. The suff. refers 
to . They render it as though the word were the same 
as V$%b,for himself. The noun Sis 5*3 lit. means answer; 
see 15 : 1, 23. 16:1. The tropical sense is, that which cor- 
responds to, or is consonant with, any purpose, design, or 
action. So everything (Vs) is made in accordance with its 
correspondence, i. e. with the design or purpose to which it 
answers. — The wicked are fitted, by their temper and con- 
duct, for the day of retribution. It is an ordinance of God 
that they shall receive that retribution which is the answer, 
or that which corresponds, to their conduct. — That the Ma- 
sorites had some such view of the word , seems prob- 
able from their inserting the article, (b exhibits it, as also the 
Dagh. that follows), for either could not belong to the par- 
ticle )yq . Of course they doubtless had jrtU» > answer, in 
view. So anxious do they seem to have been to indicate 
this, that they have inserted the article against the rule, 
which requires its omission when the word has a suff. pro- 
noun, § 108. 2. This should not be overlooked ; for it gives 
us, at least, their judgment in regard to the true state and 
meaning of the word. 

[In respect to the sentiment of the text, it is a passage which has been 
sometimes urged to an excessive length. When the extreme Predes- 



Pakt II— Chap. XVI. 5. 



289 



tinarian deduces from it the sentiment, that c; God made the wicked 
for the very purpose of punishing them and of making them forever 
miserable," I must regard this as pushing matters to a great extreme. 
And yet, there is one light in which we may view this matter, which 
will show that to a certain extent, or within certain limits, this senti- 
ment may be assented to. That ' God made every thing and every 
man, to answer the purposes which it or he does actually answer,' 
cannot be denied, unless we maintain that things and men are what 
they are, contrary to his will. This would be to make the creature 
superior to the Creator. When the text says, that God made the 
wicked for the day of evil. I understand it as meaning, that God has so 
arranged things, that punishment will certainly follow the commission 
of sin, unless averted by repentance. He has connected together 
sinning and suffering, so that there can be no escape for the impenitent 
sinner. 

There is quite a difference between the position, that God has made 
sinning to be connected with suffering, and the proposition, that God has 
made men sinners, and made them so in order that they might be 
fitted for damnation. There have been some, who have maintained 
the latter position, by virtually omitting, in their reasoning, a link — 
a very important one — which belongs to a considerate and logical 
train of reasoning That link is real free moral agency ; and with this 
stands connected consequentially another link, not less important, 
viz., voluntary iX-desert of the sinner, and the consequent justice of pun- 
ishing him- God has so arranged his government of moral beings, 
that the day of evil will and must come, to such of them as sin and 
remain impenitent. The day of retribution is the rlJSto , the correspond- 
ent answer to the doings of the sinner. In other words, as before : 
' He has made punishment to correspond to crime.' Further than 
this, I think few will now venture to go.] 

(5) An abomination of Jehovah is every man of a lofty mind; 
should hand be added to hand, he will not go unpunished. 

ttaa, adj. const, form of ttnj, with & Mappiq and mova- 
ble.—^ 1% see under 11: 21. I take the idea here to be, 

t : t 

that although one hand should be added to the other, i. e. 
although a haughty man may employ all his poiver (for this 
the use of both hands indicates) of resistance, yet he will not 
be able to get free from the penalty of his offence. 
* 25 



290 Part II— Chap. XVI. 6—10. 



(6) By mercy and truth is sin expiated, and in the fear of Jehovah 
there is a turning away from evil. 

The figurative sense of (atoned) is doubtless in- 

tended here. Neither sin-offerings nor the blood of bulls 
and goats ; neither mercy to others, nor adherence to truth ; 
can atone for sin, in the higher and proper sense of this 
word. But mercy and truth, exhibited by a good man, may 
be a good reason why he should go free from such visita- 
tions as overtake the presumptuous wicked in the present 
world. In accordance with this, are the constantly recur- 
ring promises made in this book to a good and virtuous 
course of conduct.— The fear of Jehovah, is the most effect- 
ual of all persuasives to turn from evil. Without it, an 
evil course will never be heartily forsaken. 

(7) When the ways of a man are well-pleasing to Jehovah, he will 
make even his enemies to he at peac« with him. 

A truly pious man will be blessed of God, and have peace 
even on the part of his enemies. They will find little to 
censure, and have little or no pretext for injury. Of course 
this is only a general truth ; to which are not a £>w excep- 
tions. Such are the cases of persecution for righteousness' 
sake. 

(8) Better is a little with justice, than large revenues without right. 
(9) The heart of man deviseth his way, hut Jehovah will make firm 
his steps. 

xb^ , lit. with not = without — 2®tV\ , Piel, with an in- 
tensive sense — laboriously devise his way. But that way 
will not be successfully travelled, unless Jehovah shall make 
his steps firm and vigorous. 

(10) An oracle is on the lips of a king; in judgment his mouth 
should not prevaricate. 

D&g, usually means sentence of a god, or of his agent, 
viz., a diviner. What is here meant is, that what a king 



Part II— Chap. XVI. 11. 



291 



utters is of high import and authority. — On the lips, means 
hangs on the lips, or depends on the lips. — Since this is the 
case, he should look well to it, that he utters nothing perfid- 
ious or prevaricating. — hsn*] means, to act perfidiously, or to 
prevaricate. The sentence of a good king should be just, 
simple, sincere; and there should be in it no design of 
deceiving or misleading. 

(11) The steel-yard and the balances of justice are Jehovah's; his 
work are all the stones of the bag. 

tbti is always associated with balances, and it would seem 
therefore to belong to the apparatus for weighing. Most 
probably it was the rod or yard, on which the figures indi- 
cating exactly the weight were marked. The Hebrew says 
nothing indeed of steel, but our English word, as in the ver- 
sion, gives us the familiar idea of the thing aimed at. Sen- 
timent of the first clause: 6 Jehovah employs no other than 
just weights ; ' or else : 6 Only just balances does Jehovah 
approve.' The second is more difficult. His work are all 
the stones of the bag, refers to the stones, which were used as 
weights, and kept in a bag; see Deut. 25: 13. Mia 6: 11. 
But why are all these called his ivork ? The answer may be 
given thus : The all in this case refers to the whole of the 
weights, great and small; and as the latter are employed 
only in adjusting niceties of weight, so the idea seems to be, 
that the balances which Jehovah approves or employs, are 
adjusted with the utmost possible exactness in all respects. 
In this way we find the second clause to be climactic. Sen- 
timent : 6 Jehovah not only does justice, but he exacts jus- 
tice of all men toward each other.' 

It is evident, that if the balances and iveights are spoken 
of as belonging to God in the sense of his employing them, 
the language is highly figurative. The sentiment, however, 
is quite plain, viz., that Jehovah, in all his dealings, is per- 
fectly just. In case we interpret the passage in this way, 



292 



Part II— Chap. XVI. 12—14. 



there is plainly instruction given to men by it. The object 
is not merely, nor even mainly, to teach the perfect justice 
of God, but to hold this up as an exemplar for men. On 
the other hand, the whole sentiment may have this turn 
given to it : 6 Jehovah acknowledges as his, viz., as that 
which he approves, only just balances and weights. He 
condemns all others.' I prefer the last. 

(12) The doing of evil is an abomination of kings; for by righte- 
ousness is the throne established. 

The sentence is capable of this meaning: It is an abomi- 
nable thing for kings to do evil ; but the next verse shows 
that we must understand by abomination here, the feeling 
of mind which kings have, or should have themselves, 
and not that which they excite in others. Why do they 
abominate the doing of evil ? The answer is : 6 Because 
they are exposed to lose their throne by it ; ' or, in other 
words : c Righteousness among the people is the only thing 
which can render the throne stable/ The first interpreta- 
tion gives a good meaning; but the second gives one in 
accordance with the following verse. , Imperf. ISaph. 
of *p3 . In , the Dagh. is compensative, the old form 
being , as in Syriac ; see Lex. 

(13) Lips of truth are the delight of kings, and he who speaketh 
uprightly shall be loved. 

p*iz , lit. justice, but here being in opposition to false 
speaking, it may with propriety be rendered as in the ver- 
sion.— adverbial Acc. plur., § 98.2. § 116.3.— 
(in pause), without any express Nom. We may sup- 
ply the indef. Noin. one; or, (which is here altogether 
equivalent), render the verb passively, as in the version. 
Or, with all the ancient Yersions,,we may supply ^.^,as an 
obvious mode of particularizing the preceding d^Va . 

(14) The wrath of a king is messengers of death; but a wise man 
will propitiate it. 



Part II— Chap. XVI. 15—17. 



293 



That is, when the king is angry, he commissions the mes- 
sengers of death to execute his indignant sentence. The 
simple manner of saying this, by merely using the phrase : 
is messengers of death, is bold, striking, and pointed. The 
phrase is elliptical, but not obscure. — Since kingly wrath 
is attended with such bitter consequences, a wise man will 
seek to soften it ; comp. 19:12. 20 : 2, and Ecc. 8 : 4. 

(15) In the light of the king's countenance is life; and his favor is 
like the latter rain. 

The wrath of the king (v. 14) has here an antithesis in 
the phrase: the light of" his countenance; for the counte- 
nance is lighted up, when one is pleased. In this is life ; 
for the object of complacency is in no danger from messen- 
gers of death. - — Latter rain is that which falls just before 
the harvest, and fills out and completes the crops. 

(16) To acquire wisdom — how much better than fine gold! To 
win intelligence, is to be chosen rather than silver. 

nbp is Inf. const., although this form is somewhat rare, 
§ 74. n. 2. In the second clause, nisp (the normal form) is 
employed. Variety in the form of the same word appears 
to be here an object of choice. — , that which is to be 
chosen, optandum. There is no article here before gold and 
silver. Usually it is inserted in such cases, (§ 107. Rem. b); 
but poetry, and especially the brevity of gnomes, may 
omit it. 

(17) The highway of the upright is the turning away from evil ; 
he who preserveth himself, carefully watcheth his way. 

The upright will not wittingly go in the path of evil, and 
therefore they turn away into another and safer way. Who- 
ever means to remain secure, must look well to the way 
which he takes, and adhere constantly to it. The partici- 
ples here are employed to designate what is habitual and 
constant. 

25* 



294 Part II— Chap. XVI. 18—22. 



(18) Before destruction is pride: and before stumbling is haughti- 
ness of spirit. (19) Better is lowliness of mind with the humble, 
than the dividing of spoil with the haughty. 

" God will resist the proud." Pride goes before destruc- 
tion, and is the ground or cause of it. — fiiaa, a Segholate 
of class iii. (§ 91. 6), and therefore when it is put in the 
const, state with a noun, it does not change its form. — 
d^iiS-ritf , (so Qeri, but without any necessity), the prep, 
-nat has the meaning of companionship, association with ; 
see Lex. !n& , ii. 2. — The dividing of spoil implies victory, 
and of course exultation, the usual consequence of which is 
pride or haughtiness. In this way it stands virtually 
opposed to lowliness of mind. — p\ft Inf. of Piel, here 
nominascens. 

(20) He who is prudent respecting any matter, shall find good; and 
as to him who confideth in Jehovah — blessed is he ! 

""li'n may mean command, and then we have it thus : He 
who acts wisely in respect to commandment, etc. But the 
sense given above is of wider extent, or more generic. — 
The form l^ttja is never employed but in the plural const, 
or suff. state, as here. 

(21) He who is wise of heart shall be called intelligent; and sweet- 
ness of speech will increase instruction. 

The Heb. lit. thus: To the wise of heart, there shall be 
called •p'nj . This idiom our language does not employ. I 
have conformed the version, therefore, to our own idiom, the 
sense remaining the same. — Sweetness of speech means 
gentle and persuasive language; for lips, as the Heb. has it, 
here means what the lips speak. This sweetness attracts 
listeners, and so increases knowledge. 

(22) A well-spring of life is discretion to him who possesseth it; 
but the instruction of fools is folly. 



Part II— Chap. XVI. 23—25. 



295 



There is a variety of opinion in respect to some parts of 
this verse. Still, there seems to be little difficulty in it. — 
1^23 by® , is lit. the prudence of its possessor, i. e. the pru- 
dence of him who is the possessor of such a virtue. We 
are obliged to change the manner of the expression, 
has a plural form, which attaches to it in the same manner as 
to d^rfts$ (see Lex.) without a plur. meaning, constituting 
what is called a pluralis excellentiae. — The master or pos- 
sessor of discretion — the discreet man. — Such a man is a 
fountain of life to others, because of his example and pre- 
cepts. But a fool, if he undertake to instruct, can only 
teach folly ; and this is no fountain of life, but of death. 

(23) The heart of the wise will make his mouth skilful; and will 
increase instruction upon his lips. 

Wisdom will cause discreet speech, which is skill in elo- 
quence ; and will add instruction to what is on the lips of 
such a man, i. e. to the words which he utters. It will do 
so, because discreet language will naturally attract listeners. 
— Sptyi = Spoil , Hiph. Imperf. 

(24) Pleasant words are a honey-comb, sweet to the soul, and heal- 
ing to the bones. 

Are a honey-comb, that is, are like to, etc., for nothing is 
more common, than for a Hebrew to say are for are like, — 
pira seems of course to have relation to , plur. — But 
I take it here as an abstract noun, like the neuter adj. in 
Greek and Latin. Often so in Hebrew. Lit. then we have 
sweetness, which does not require conformity of either num- 
ber or gender to its antecedent. The same in respect to 
tfS^tt . — Bone, in the sing., is taken in the same tropical 
sense, as "ito , i. e. it here means the person or whole body, 

(25) There is a way which is right in the sight of a man ; and yet 
the end thereof is the ways of death. 



296 Part II— Chap. XVI. 26—28. 



See 14 : 12 for the same. In other words : 6 A man may 
come to regard a thing as right, which in the end will prove 
to be destructive and fatal.' How often is this maxim still 
verified ! 

(26) The appetite of him who toils, is toilsome to him, for his 
mouth urgeth him on. 

Is toilsome to him, i. e. makes him strenuously exert himself, 
for appetite is urgent. — ft , I regard as Dot. incommodi here, 
viz., to his inconvenience. — His mouth = appetite. It is 
urgent on him, corresponds with the Heb. , the being 
put before the thing or person urged ; as often in Hebrew. 
Meaning : 6 A strong appetite unappeased is urgent and 
troublesome.' 

(27) A worthless man diggeth up evil; and on his lips is as it were 
a scorching fire. 

ITp , Part., is somewhat of a difficult word here. The 
verb means to dig, e. g. a well, pit, ditch, etc. Ges. renders 
Siyi rra by perniciem parat, which gives the sense, but 
drops the imagery. To me it appears thus : As a man who 
digs a well, naturally and justly expects some good reward 
for his labor, in the water which it affords, so the worthless 
man who digs up evil, finds his appropriate reward ; or, as 
we say, (with a small variation of the verb in Hebrew), digs 
up evil, that is, obtains it as the reward of his efforts. — The 
worthless man here seems to be described in the second 
clause, as a detractor, calumniator. — On his lips (= the 
words which hang upon his lips) is that which resembles a 
scorching fire, i. e. heated calumnious speeches. 

(28) A man of perversities will stir up strife ; and the prater sepa- 
rateth friends. 

A man of perversities, is one who is very deceitful and 
crafty. — ) SH3 , with formative )- , the root being S'tj , to speak 



Part II— Chap. XVI. 29—31. 



297 



rapidly. Such a prater very often separates friends by 
tattling scandal. 

(29) A man of violence will deceive his neighbor: and cause him 
to go in a way not good. 

That is, he will allure or deceive his neigh oor, so as to 
lead him to the commission of violence, i. e. of rapine and 
spoil, and thus bring him into an evil and dangerous way. 

(30) He who shutteth his eves in order to devise what is perverse, 
he who compresseth his lips, hath accomplished evil. 

The eyes are often shut, when one designs to think closely 
and strenuously about anything ; because notice of all that 
is external can thus be prevented, and one can then, as we 
say, think the harder. — Compression of the lips y indicates firm 
determination or resolution. This is taken as a sign of 
evil already committed ; because his firm resolution, it is 
here supposed, will be carried into execution. Hence the 
declaration : hath accomplished evil. 

(31) A crown of splendor is gray-hair, should it be found in the 
way of righteousness. 

The image is vivid. Gray hairs crown the head ; but 
that crown, in the case supposed, is splendid or beautiful. 
Yet this is not so in and of itself merely ; for the wicked 
have gray hairs also in old age. In my version, I have 
made the second clause express the condition on which such 
a crown is splendid. This neither Umbreit nor Bertheau 
have done. They understand it thus : ' It is a crown of 
splendor, because it is evidence that the man is good ; for 
none but the good attain to such an age/ But is this con- 
gruous with facts ? With facts that always were, and still 
are, before every man's eyes ? The version above does not 
contravene any laws of grammar ; and certainly it comports 
with truth. The Nom. to :#sn is ii^to , which = old age. 



0 



298 



Part II— Chap. XVI. 32, 33. 



(32) Better is he who is slow to anger, than the mighty; and he 
that ruleth his own spirit, than he who taketh a city. 

Moderation of one's own passions is better than deeds of 
valor ; and subjugation of one's own mind, than the con- 
quest of a city. Clearly there is a high and noble moral 
tone in this. 

(33) The lot is cast into the lap ; bat from Jehovah is the whole 
disposal thereof. 

Men may cast lots in order to ascertain their future luck ; 
or they may embark in adventures at much risk, hoping that 
all will come out well ; but Jehovah alone can and does 
decide the issue of all such matters. 

[There is in this verse an idiom of which our Grammars have taken 
a very inadequate notice. It is this, viz., that the Ace, b^iSiInTi^ , 
appears here as a Nom. or subject ; and so it is rendered in the ver- 
sion — adsensum indeed, yet not in such a way as discloses the idiom 
of the Hebrew. The real fact is, that there is a large number of cases, 
where the verb passive in the third sing. } is used in a kind of impersonal 
way, without reference to the number or gender of the noun which 
seems to be its Nom., but which is actually in the Acc. The fact that 
such noun belongs to the Acc. seems to be evident, from the consid- 
eration that there is, in respect to the verb, no regard paid either to 
the number or gender of the nouns in question. This may be easily 
shown. We may make two divisions: (I.) Those nouns which follow 
the passive verb of the third sing, masculine, which is nearly always in the 
Imperf. (a) Sing. masc. with T\& before it, the usual mark of the 
Acc. ; e. g. Gen. 17:5. Ex. 10 : 8. 21: 28. 25 : 28. Lev. 10 : 18. Deut. 
12 : 22. 20 : 8. Josh. 7: 15. 2 Sam. 21: 11. Prov. 16 : 33. Jer. 38 : 4. 
50 : 20. Gen. 4 : 18. Num. 26 : 60. Lev. 13 : 49. {b) Plur. masc. with 
!HK before it ; Lev. 2 : 8. Jer. 35 : 14. Gen. 27: 42. Ex. 27: 7. Amos 
4 : 2. (c) Sing. fern, with fitf ; Num. 32 : 5. 1 Kings 2 : 21. (d) Sing, 
fern, without fitf , Ex. 31: 15. Hos. 10 : 6. (II.) Nouns preceding the 
verb, and without fitf . (a) Fern, sing., Ex. 12:16. Is. 14:3. 21:2. 
(b) Fern, plural, Ex. 13 : 7. Num. 28 : 17. Ps. 87: 3. Job 22 : 9. 

I find but one instance of a fern, noun without FIX , joined with a 
verb in the third sing. masc. of the Perfect, viz., Num. 26 : 62. There 
may be more of the like kind ; but they must be rare. 



Part II— Chap. XVII. h 



299 



With such a list before us as is exhibited above, it would be diffi- 
cult to maintain with Gesenius (in Lex.), that f\X may stand before 
the Norn.; for if this be admitted, it will solve only a small part of 
the phenomena in question. These present us with a verb sing, 
masc, in the Imperf. of some passive voice, and connected with the 
sing, masc, and plural masc, and fern, sing., all with fitf , (and also 
fern. sing, without all following the verb; then preceding the verb, 

we have, without , the fern, sing., and the fern, plural. Those nouns 
which are without (the Acc mark), are still so conditioned, that 
we know they must be in the Acc. It follows from this view of the 
subject, since the verb remains in the same condition in all these vari- 
eties of gender, number, and location, that it must be used in an 
impersonal way, for it has manifestly no conformity to its apparent 
subjects or Nominatives. The Heb. employs the sing. Passive often 
in a neuter way, instead of the 3d pers. plur. with an indef. Nom., 
which the Chaldee and Syriac so often exhibit. Plainly the third 
sing. pass, in Hebrew, is equivalent to the third plur. active with an 
indef. Nom. In the latter case, (see § 134. 3. 6), the active voice would 
demand the Acc. ; and as the third sing. pass, is used in its place, 
since it is lighter and more facile of enunciation, it retains the same 
case which the act. third plur. would require. 

Very much of what is usually named anomaly as to concord in the 
Hebrew, is easily solved in this way 5 and if this idiom be fully under- 
stood, one may thereby explain a large portion of the alleged anomalies 
of the Hebrew. Ewald, in § 273. b, has done more to illustrate this 
hitherto obscure matter, than I have elsewhere found ; and to him I stand 
mainly indebted for the list of examples produced above, although he 
has not classified them, as has here been done.] 

Chap. XVII. 1—28. 

(1) Better is a dry morsel and quietude therewith, than a house 
filled with slaughtered beasts and strife. 

t^rist is not limited to beasts appropriate to offerings; 
for these b^rinta appropriately indicates. It means beasts 
slaughtered, either for feasts or offerings, i. e. it is generic. 
We cannot well imitate the Hebrew here, which lit. runs thus : 
slaughtered beasts of strife. The Gen. here — of strife — 



300 Part II— Chap. XVII. 2—5. 



qualifies the preceding noun, and indicates either that the 
beasts were obtained by strife, or that they are eaten with 
strife. — The dry morsel is bread; and this, without any fat 
or flesh to accompany it. 

(2) A discreet servant shall rule over a son who acteth basely ; and 
among brethren shall he divide an inheritance. 

By discretion the servant will at last obtain a higher place 
than the profligate son, and even become his master. He 
will, moreover, attain to an inheritance, as if he were of the 
same class with the brother-heirs. The base son will 
become the slave of his former servant, and give up his 
property to him. 

(3) The fining-pot for silver, and the furnace for gold ; but the 
searcher of hearts is Jehovah. 

That is, the fining-pot may try silver, and the furnace 
disclose true gold ; but only Jehovah can explore the human 
heart. 

(4) An evil doer listeneth to the lip of mischief ; the deceitful man 
listeneth to the tongue of destruction. 

5h£ , Part. Hiph. of , final Pattah because of the 1 . — 
IgliJ, lit. falsehood or deceit ; but here the abstract is plainly 
used for the concrete, and is so rendered in the version. — 
•ptE , apparently from ]W , which however I do not find in 
Ges. Lex. ; but it may be taken as = "ft^ , Hiph. of )1& to 
listen ; Ewald, § 141. a. 2. Such contractions are not un- 
frequent, in which & is omitted in the writing. — The plur. 
rriri is intensive here ; which we cannot well imitate, without 
circumlocution. 

(5) He who derideth the poor, reproacheth his Maker; he who 
rejoiceth in sudden calamity, shall not be guiltless. 

The second clause leads us to assign sudden calamity as 
the cause of the poverty brought to view in the first. — ^Tvtifi , 
Part, fite, with the suff. sin-. 



Part II— Chap. XVII. 6—9. 301 



(6) The crown of the aged is the sous of sons ; and the glory of 
children is their fathers. 

That is : Parents are honored and made happy by a nu- 
merous progeny, and dutiful children glory in their ancestors. 

(7) The lip of eminence is not comely for a fool ; much less the lip 
of falsehood for a prince. 

Lip of eminence, means speech such as belongs to eminence 
(= eminent men), or is characteristic of it. Eminence is 
entitled to command, and to be obeyed. Such a place, then, 
is not seemly for a fool. — *ir£ , first remainder ; then abun- 
dance ; then eminence, as here. — ^3 fc)8 , after a negative, 
means much less ; see Lex. After ^3 , rnao (contracted from 
nilJO) is implied. 

(8) A present is a precious stone, in the eyes of its possessor; 
whithersoever it shall turn, it will prosper 

A present (^TO) here means a bribe given to secure influ- 
ence. He who receives such a present, regards it as a pre- 
cious stone, e. g. as of value like a diamond. Hence comes 
the tropical language of the last clause. A diamond reflects 
a variety of lights, when viewed on this side or on that. 
Turn it how you please, it will never cease to reflect lustre ; 
and this, the text calls prospering or succeeding, i. e. it never 
fails to reflect lustre. So of a bribe if accepted ; it will in- 
fluence in many ways, even without a consciousness of its 
power, on the part of the receiver. Turn he which way he 
will, the influence of it will follow him. 

(9) He who covereth a transgression, seeketh love; but he who 
repeateth a report, separateth friends. 

in'n , a word or saying, means, as the sequel shows, a 
report which is wounding to the good name or the feelings 
of a friend. The repetition would show some degree of sat- 
isfaction in the thing ; which of course would be offensive. 
— r\w for r\)W , Part. 

26 



302 Part H— Chap. XVII. 10—14. 



(10) Rebuke will sink deep into an intelligent man, more than the 
smiting of a fool a hundred times. 

mnin , Imperf. fern. Kal of n.nj , F] (with Tseri) because the 
Gutt. rejects Daghesh. Sentiment : 6 A man of intelligence 
will be more influenced by mere rebuke, than the fool by 
severe scourging.' 

(11) Only contumacy will the evil man seek ; but a cruel messen- 
ger shall be sent against him. 

The contumacy, i^E , here in question, is that of subjects 
toward their rulers. When displayed, the ruler sends his 
messenger of justice, who will severely punish. 

(12) Meet a bear robbed of her whelps by a man, but not a fool in 
his folly. 

ttma, Inf. abs. for Imper., § 128. 4. b. c. — [Meet] not a 
fool, etc. That is : ' It is better to meet an enraged bear, 
than a fool in the exercise of his folly.' 

(13) He who requiteth evil for good, evil will not depart from his 
house. 

The Kethibh reads in Hiph., the Qeri ty&j in Kal ; 
both are equally good. This agrees well with : " Eender 
not evil for evil." 

(14) The commencement of strife is the letting but of water; be- 
fore it rolleth itself onward, let strife alone. 

Where water is dammed up, a small breach in the dam 
occasions a rush of water, which speedily widens that breach, 
and then it rolls on in impetuous torrents. So with strife, 
which, though trifling at first, when persevered in, becomes 
impetuous and mischievous. Therefore, Let alone strife, be- 
fore it rolls on, like the impetuous torrent. — 155b , before in 
point of time here, Lex. D. 2. b. — sfc|r\ti , Hith. Inf. of |£$ , 
which is like to bbj , according to the older interpreters, and 
so Bertheau. This sense is quite congruous here, as it keeps 



Part II— Chap. XVII. 15—17. 303 



up the metaphor of water rushing forth so that it cannot be 
checked. 

(15) He who justifieth the wicked, and he who condemneth the 
righteous, are, even both of them, an abomination of Jehovah. 

Even both is designed to specificate, and to speak with 
energy. It does not assert that both are guilty in the same 
degree, but represents both to be so far guilty, as to be an 
abomination of Jehovah. 

(16) "Why should a price be in the hand of a fool, in order to ac- 
quire wisdom, when there is no understanding ? 

That is, a man cannot purchase wisdom for any price, who 
is without understanding ; for this is absolutely necessary to 
the acquisition of it. 

(17) The friend loveth at all times; but a brother for adversity 
must be born. 

A somewhat difficult passage, in respect to the last clause. 
— At all times, i. e. as well in adversity as in prosperity, a 
true friend will love. — A brother for adversity, (for so the 
accents indicate the connection to be), is one who will act 
the part of a brother in a season of adversity. Of such an 
one it is said : ^bh* , he must or shall be born, (possibly) he is 
bom. I do not understand this last clause, unless the asser- 
tion is, that none but such as are bom brethren, i. e. kindred 
by blood, will cleave to us when in distress. Yet this is 
true only in a qualified sense ; for the most that we can say 
is, that comparatively few are friends in adversity, excepting 
one's relatives by descent. But another shade of meaning 
may be assigned to the passage ; which is, that such a man 
as a friend in adversity, is yet to be born, i. e. none such are 
now to be found ; thus making it substantially equivalent in 
sense to the expression : 6 How few and rare are such faith- 
ful friends ! * 



304 Part II— Chap. XVII. 18—22. 



(18) The man who lacketh understanding, striketh hands ; he 
maketh a pledge before his friend. 

Striking hands, is the confirming of a contract. — He 
maketh a pledge, viz., to some third person, in the 'presence 
of his friend, who can bear testimony to it, and therefore 
make it binding. The last clause is elliptical, viz., he who 
makes such a pledge [wants understanding]. 

(19) A lover of sin is a lover of strife; he who maketh his gate 
lofty, seeketh destruction. 

The man of strife loves sin ; the man of pride, who erects 
lofty structures, is preparing for ruin, for " pride will have 
a fall." 

(20) The perverse of heart shall not find favor; and he who is 
turned hither and thither with his tongue, shall fall into mischief. 

^5^3 , (Part.) is rendered in conformity with the primary 
meaning of *?^r\ , to turn. The meaning is, that the tongue 
now says this, and then that, so that it is continually turning 
and winding in its course. Mischief usually and naturally 
ensues. 

(21) Whoever begetteth a fool, it is a trouble to him; and the 
father of a fool will not rejoice. 

See the antithesis to this in 15 : 20, and comp. 18 : 13. — 

Will not rejoice, =will have reason to mourn ; (a form of 
speech which the rhetoricians name meiosis, i. e. fuicoaig, 
diminution, where less is said than is meant). 

(22) A glad heart will do the body good ; but a mind afflicted will 
dry up the bone. 

tin* is found only here, and seems to be a doubtful word, 
as to its meaning. In Hos. 5 : 13, the verb evidently means 
loosening or taking off a bandage. On this account, sanatio 
is given here by Ges. and others, as the meaning of the noun. 
But the Chald. and Syr. translate the word by body; to 



Part H— Chap. XVII. 23—27. 305 



confirm which, we may appeal to the kindred words, Srvja and 
fijl* i body. This makes a more congruous sense ; for body 
then corresponds to , bone, in the other clause ; which 
last is only a tropical appellation of corpus. Sept. evexraiv, 
to be in a sound bodily state. — To dry up the bone, is to deprive 
it of all moisture and succulence, so that it becomes like the 
bones of those who have long been dead. The imagery is 
very vivid. 

(23) A bribe is taken from the bosom of the wicked man, in order 
to pervert the ways of judgment. 

Taken from the bosom, i. e. taken in a concealed or secret 
way. And this bribe is received, in order that a wrong 
decision in a court of justice may be given. 

(24) Near by an intelligent man is wisdom ; but the eyes of a fool 
are in the ends of the earth. 

Near by, ^a-nx , lit. with the face or person, i. e. in close 
connection with him. Wisdom being thus at hand, he can 
always employ it with readiness. But a fool is looking far 
abroad for it, and so he never is able to find and to use it. 

(25) A foolish son is a vexation to his father, and a bitterness to 
his mother. 

Comp. v. 21 above, and 10: 1. — 4gtT, only here; it is a 
derivate of ^fja , § 84. II. 14. — isnifi , fern. Part, of , in 
a suff. state, § 93. D. a. 

(26) Moreover, to punish the righteous is not good; to smite noble- 
men is beyond right. 

Is not good, is a mere meiosis, i. e. a softening down of the 
positive mode of expression, viz., is bad, or is wicked. — So 
in the other clause, is beyond right = is wrong, , over, 
over and above, i. e. beyond. See Lex. 

(27) He who keepeth back his words, understandeth knowledge ; 
and he who is of a cool spirit, is a man of understanding. 

26* 



306 Part II— Chap. XVIII. 1—3. 

A prudent restraint in speaking, is everywhere commended 
in this book. — In the second clause, ngl in the Kethibh, is 
changed in the Qeri into , precious. The first is altogether 
preferable, being more congruous. 

^28 ) Even a fool, keeping silence, is wise ; and he who closeth his 
lips is intelligent. 

Is wise, i. e. is reputed or regarded as wise ; for, so far as 
this goes, he acts wisely. The second clause is a more 
general proposition, extending the remark to all who act in 
the like way. 

Chap. XVIIL 1— 24. 

(1) One who separateth himself will seek for what he desireth; 
against all sound discretion will he rush on. 

Tj&? , Part. Niph. in a reflexive sense. — ftJKP) , I have 
translated what he desireth, more literally it means desire, 
which here means object of desire. He who separates him- 
self from a communion of interest with others, and seeks only 
his own selfish ends, such an one will rush on, (like the rolling 
on of the current, see 17 : 14), in spite of all prudent advice 
to the contrary. Sentiment : 6 Selfishness is apt to become 
exclusive and supreme, and to break through all bounds to 
gratify itself.' 

(2) A fool taketh no pleasure in understanding; but truly in the 
disclosure of his own heart. 

See ds* ^3 in Lex., but truly or surely, or much more. Here 
■parr comes in by implication, being carried forward from the 
preceding clause. Thus we have this meaning : but truly 
[he will take pleasure"] in the disclosure, etc. That is, since 
his own heart is foolish, he will take pleasure in manifesting 
his own folly. 

(3) When the wicked cometh, then cometh also contempt ; and 
shame will be joined with reproach. 



Part II— Chap. XVIII. 4—6. 307 



That is, wherever the wicked comes, he meets with con- 
tempt ; and shameful doings will be connected with reproach. 
By implication it follows, that the good and worthy are the 
only persons who can secure honorable regard. 

(4) Deep waters are the words of a man's mouth ; a gushing stream 
is the fountain of wisdom. 

The words, in the first clause, are those of a wise and pru- 
dent man. They are like deep waters, because they consist 
of thoughts not easily sounded to the bottom, and still less 
capable of exhaustion ; see 20 : 5. Ecc. 7 : 24. — The second 
image is still more lively : A fountain of wisdom is a stream 
gushing forth, i. e. it is like a stream, which, gushing forth 
from the earth, is always full and refreshing. Or the last 
clause may be thus rendered : They [the words, etc.] are a 
gushing stream — a fountain of wisdom. This method of 
arrangement puts the two last short clauses in apposition. 

(5) To take part with the wicked is not good; to turn aside the 
righteous in judgment [is not good]. 

ijB mato , is used to designate the acceptance of any person, 
who offers presents or bribes ; lit. it means to lift up the face; 
and therefore it comes to mean to show partiality for, to take 
part with ; see Lex. no. 3. b. nato is the Inf. of Ktoj , but 
instead of the ordinary and later Seghol fern, form, r\$to , it 
takes (by usage) the form of the older Segholates, viz., snato . 
Most plainly the last clause demands the supply of nia-tfb, 
carried forward from the first, else the sense would be 
incomplete, or even contradictory. 

(6) The lips of a fool enter into strife; and his mouth calleth for 
stripes. 

That is, his words are mingled with the spirit of strife, 
and he commits follies with his mouth, i. e. in his words, 
which deserve stripes. 



308 Part II-Chap. XVIII. 7—10. 



(7) The mouth of a fool is destruction to him ; and his lips are a 
snare of his life. 

In other words: What he says is ruinous to him, and 
proves to be a snare of his life, i. e. his language is that by 
which he comes into danger of his life. 

(8) The words of the tale-bearer are like sportive ones ; yet they 
go down into the innermost parts of the body. 

It is difficult to settle with certainty the meaning of 
ts^iibria . Schultens, Ges., and others, derive the meaning 
from the corresponding Arabic which means, to 

swallow greedily. In this way, they bring out the meaning 
of sweet morsels or cakes. I prefer the explanation of 
Bertheau, who compares with it ttilibm: in 26 : 18, which, 
as the context shows, there means sporting. Compare 
and , both of the same meaning. This is the more com- 
mended by its greater congruity, and the antithesis implied 
in dffl, yet they, etc. That is, although his words seem to 
be jocose, or sportive, they are in reality malignant, and 
they therefore inflict deep wounds. Comp. 20 : 27, 30, for 
the imagery. 

(9) Moreover, he who is slack in his work, he is brother to a prodi- 
gal. 

rYHnttSB tes , lit. possessor or master of wasting == a waster 
i. e. a prodigal; as in the version. Comp. r^TOE fcfr&t, in 
28 : 24. By the phrase a brother, is meant one very like. 

(10) The name of Jehovah is a tower of strength; the righteous 
runneth into it, and is protected. 

The name of Jehovah, is a periphrasis (but a very signifi- 
cant one), which designates Jehovah himself. To call on the 
name of the Lord, is to invoke him by calling his name. 
The word name, in such a connection, designates all that 
we include under the appellation of the being addressed. — 
satoa , lit. is elevated. But the elevation of a fort or tower, 



Part II— Chap. XVIII. 11—17. 309 



in ancient times, was that which rendered it safe or inac- 
cessible, so that protection was the consequence of repairing 
to it. 

(11) The wealth of the rich is his strong city 5 and like a high wall, 
in his own conceit. 

The rich, instead of looking to Jehovah for protection, 
trust in their riches — which are a high wall, in their own 
imagination, but not so in reality. In 10 : 15, the like 
words are employed, but in a different relation, and there- 
fore with a different meaning. 

(12) Before destruction, the heart of man is haughty ; and before 
honor, is humility. (13) He who answereth a matter before he hear- 
eth it, it is folly to him, and a shame. 

For v. 12, comp. 16 : 18. 15 : 33, where the same may be 
found. V. 13 shows the folly of a hasty anticipative answer, 
before the examination of a question. 

(14) The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity; but a dejected 
spirit — who can endure it % 

Spirit, in the first clause, means a firm and resolute 
temper of mind. — A dejected spirit is a mind made sad. 
Infirmity relates to pains of body ; a dejected spirit to a mind 
sad and cast down. The first can be endured, by firmness 
and resolution ; but the last — who can endure it, when 
resolution for endurance is gone ? n*h is masc. in the first 
clause, and fern, in the second. 

(15) An understanding heart will acquire knowledge ; and the ear 
of the wise will seek after knowledge. (16) The gift of a man will 
make room for him : and will conduct him before the mighty. 

For v. 15, see 15: 14. — V. 16 means, that the presents 
which a man may proffer, will make room for his reception, 
and bring him into the presence of the great or noble. 

(17) He who is first in his own cause is righteous ; then cometh his 
neighbor and searcheth him. 



310 Part II— Chap. XVIII. 18—21. 



Not with Sept. and Vulg. : the righteous is the first in his 
own cause ; for then we should have pW£i3 . — Is righteous, 
i. e. in his own estimation. — , so the Kethibh, and 
rightly, for then si is consequential. The Qeri, as; is less 
significant. The searching neighbor shifts the asserted right 
to the other side. 

(18) The lot maketh strife to cease, and separateth between the 
mighty. 

An agreement to cast lots, in order to decide a disputed 
matter, prevents a quarrel, and separates those who were 
about to mingle in contest. This seems to indicate appro- 
bation of the practice of casting lots in such cases. 

(19) A brother is more refractory than a strong city, and strifes 
are like the bars of a tower. 

A brother who is in a state of strife, is meant in the first 
clause. Such strifes, viz., those between brethren, are the 
most difficult of all to be appeased. The attempt to appease, 
is like an endeavor to enter barred gates. 

(20) From the fruit of a man's mouth, shall one's belly be satisfied ; 
[from] the produce of his lips shall one satisfy himself. 

Lit. i3t:a 5>ato means what the version has expressed ; 
the real idea is, satisfy himself "JM being figuratively taken 
for the whole man. — Produce of his lips, means what his 
lips utter, i. e. his words. If the verb satisfy is taken here 
in the good sense of the word, then the words fruit of the 
mouth, must be regarded as meaning good fruvt. But the 
verse may be ironical, and the meaning then would be, that 
false or malignant words will find an ample retribution. 
The next verse will, perhaps, help to decide which of these 
is meant. 

(21) Death and life are in the power of the tongue j and as to those 
who love it, each one shall eat the fruit thereof. 



Part II— Chap. XVHL 22—24. 311 



That is, a man may speak what will destroy life, or what 
will preserve it. — r^Ll^ is plur. with suff., denoting a 
whole class. The suff. fern, ri refers to tongue j and loving 
it means expending one's care and efforts upon the employ- 
ment of it, — i. e. the making of it a special object of gratifi- 
cation. — kgK*) each one (tt^a is implied as its Nom.) shall 
eat, etc., § 134. 3. § 143. 4. This is an example of what 
the grammarians call particularizing or merismus. In fact, 
each means, in such a case, any one, or every one, and there- 
fore all. — The predominant cast of the verse is, that the 
evil use of the tongue comes more specially into view. This 
may incline the scale in favor of the ironical meaning of 
satisfy, in the preceding verse. — As to rtns , the suff. relates 
to tongue. 

(22) He who findeth a wife, findeth a good thing; and obtaineth 
favor from Jehovah. 

Of course a good wife is meant. This is a blessing which 
God gives ; see 19 : 14. 31: 10. 

(23) The poor speaketh in a supplicating manner ; and the rich 
answereth roughly. 

Such is the usual fact ; specially is the first part of the 
verse usually true, because the necessities of the poor force 
them to beg. The second also is by far too often true. — 
dWMifc may be rendered adverbially, as above, or translated 
by the phrase with supplications. And so of Fii-TS . 

(24) A man of friends will show himself as base ; but there is a 
friend, who sticketh closer than a brother. 

A man of friends seems to mean: 6 a man who professes 
to regard everybody as his friend. 9 In so doing he involves 
himself in trouble; for he cannot serve them all, or be 
intimate with all; and then exceptions will be taken by 
those who are neglected, and they will accuse him of base 
desertion. Our English version, and many of the critics, 



- m 

312 Part II— Chap. XIX. 1—3. 

translate the verb here by show himself friendly. But in 
order to do this, we must derive the verb yyhttfj from sn , 
friend. But this last word comes from the root nan ; and 
from such a root we cannot obtain the Hith. form of the 
text. It must therefore come from 3>?n , and this has the 
meaning given above in the version. Ges. renders : periit, 
w r hich is stronger than the verb will bear. As explained 
above, the matter appears sufficiently clear. The man who 
professes to regard every body as a special friend, must 
bring on himself the imputation of false profession and base 
designs. Yet there is another and a real kind of friend- 
ship, the opposite of this ; and it sometimes rises higher 
than that which even a brother ordinarily exhibits. 

Chap. XIX. 1—29. 

( 1 ) The poor man, who walketh in his integrity, is better than he 
who is perverse with his lips, and also is a fool. 

The perverse and foolish man, being here contrasted with 
the poor man, shows that the fool here spoken of is supposed 
to be rich. A rich fool of perverse lips is of course inferior, 
in point of character, to the poor man who exhibits integrity 
of conduct. Compare 28 : 6, which substitutes rich for fool 
here. — SWirii , and also is, § 119. 2. 

(2) Moreover, in the soul's lack of knowledge, there is no good; 
and he who hasteneth with his feet, goeth astray. 

ttfag 3n? jf&&2 , lit. in the not knowing of the soul; the mean- 
ing of which is given in the version nita tkh is used as in 

the neuter impersonal = there is no good. — Haste indicates 
the lack of proper knowledge ; and this of course is apt to 
lead astray. 

(3) The folly of a man will make his way headlong ; and his heart 
will fret against Jehovah. 



Part II— Chap. XIX. 4—7. 



313 



The ruin which the man brings on himself by his own 
folly, he will angrily charge upon his Maker. This occurs, 
every day even now, too often for us to call in question the 
truthfulness of the proverb. 

(4) Wealth will make many friends ; but the poor is separated from 
his friend. 

That is, as wealth makes many professed friends, so pov- 
erty separates the poor man from even his best friend, or, in 
other words, the poor man is often neglected by those who 
ought to be his best friends. 

(5) A false witness shall not be guiltless; and he who breatheth 
out lies, shall not escape. 

Not be guiltless = shall be guilty, (meiosis). — Shall not 
escape = shall be punished, (meiosis again) ; for in v. 9, 
(exactly of the same tenor as this verse), we have, as the 
equivalent of the last expression, shall perish. 

(6) Many pay court to a prince, and every one is a friend to the 
* man of gifts. 

That is, a prince becomes popular, or obtains many 
friends, by virtue of liberal gifts. But instead of snji , the 
ancient Versions show that they read the text as 5niT"i3, 
every bad man, viz., flatters the liberal giver. The sense 
given in the version seems to be preferable. 

(7) All the brethren of the poor hate him ; how much more do his 
friends withdraw from him ; seeking earnestly for words — they are 
not. 

Brethren of the poor designates his relatives here. Even 
they hate him, i. e. do not love him so as to show him com- 
passion. If this be so, still less can be expected from mere 
friends or acquaintance. They hold themselves aloof siplTi , 
plur., because the noun ^Wya ? lit. his friendship, (abstr. for 
concrete = his friends) is a noun generic. 

27 



314 Part II— Chap. XIX. 8. 

The last clause is a problem. (1) It is out of proportion^ 
the other verses of the context being bi-membral. (2) It is 
very difficult to make out any congruous meaning from it. 
(3) The Masorites bid us to read ii> (to him) instead of aft 
(not). If we follow them, then we must render the clause 
thus : He who hunts after words, to him they are, i. e. he easily 
finds them. But what is this to do with the preceding con- 
text ? And what is the hind of words that he pursues F All 
claro-obscure. Possibly this may be the meaning : 6 He 
who catches at mere words or empty professions of friendship, 
will easily obtain them.' So Bertheau, for substance. Um- 
breit proposes the following solution : ' He who earnestly 
seeks for the former words of friendship and kindness, will 
now find them no more.' Of course he renders &b as a 
negative. We might venture, perhaps, on another conject- 
ure, like to that of Schultens : 6 He who seeks for former 
friendly words, i. e. conversation-circles of friends, will no 
more find them. He is deserted, and left in solitude.' This 
is doubtless significant ; but whether the text is of the same 
significance, may be doubted. A conversazione can hardly* 
be found in E^es . On the whole, I rather prefer Umbreit's 
solution, because it is most congruous. The Sept. has three 
whole clauses here, which are omitted in the Hebrew text ; 
but they are neither very congruous or significant. The fact 
of such an addition, however, and the superadded third 
clause here, which does not seem to match well with the 
other verses, raises a suspicion that something has been 
dropped out of the Hebrew text. The Chaldee and Syriac 
are obscure. The Vulg. has come nearest to the present 
text : Qui tantum verbis sectatur, nihil habebit. All these 
take here as a negative; and so, in the version above. 

(8) He who acquireth understanding, loveth his own soul ; he who 
watcheth for intelligence, will find good. 

Loves his own soul, i. e. does that for it which love would 



Part II— Chaf. XIX. 9—14. 315 



prompt him to do. — Will find good, where WSxk , the Inf., is 
rendered as a definite mood. See on 2 : 2, in respect to this 
idiom ; see also § 129. 3. n. 1. 

(9) A false witness shall not be guiltless, and he who breathetli 
forth lies, shall perish. (10) Luxurious living is not comely for a 
fool ; much less for a servant to rule over princes. 

For v. 9, see above on v* 5. V. 10, luxury belongs to the 
rich and noble only, and not to fools. More unseemly still 
is it, to see servants lording it over princes. Comp. Ecc. 
10: 7. 

(11) The discretion of a man will make him slow to anger ; and it 
is a glory to him to pass over a transgression. 

A discreet man will forbear, when provoked. Such an 
one will deem it praiseworthy to pass over an insult. The 
Sermon on the Mount has well commented on this sentiment. 
Matt. 5 : 38—44. 

(12) Like the roaring of a lion is the wrath of a king ; but as dew 
on the tender herbage is his good will. 

The roaring of a lion threatens destruction, and the wrath 
of a king does the same. The effects of his good will are 
described by beautiful imagery, which needs no explanation. 
Comp. the like in 20 : 2, and see 28 : 15. 16 : 14. 

(13) A sore calamity to his father is a foolish son ; and a continual 
dropping are the contentions of a woman. 

, lit. driving or urging on, i. e. one drop urges on 
another, and in this way the dropping becomes continual. 
The image is vivid. A continual drojiping of water, e. g. 
on one's head, becomes, after a time, a means of the most 
exquisite suffering. 

(14) A house and wealth are an inheritance from fathers; but a 
discreet wife is from Jehovah. 



816 



Part II— Chap. XIX. 15—17. 



Comp. 18 : 22. — nin& F&W, lit. an inheritance of fathers, 
might mean a heritage which fathers possessed. But as it 
actually means here one which they convey to their children, 
I have framed the version so as to avoid ambiguity. — A 
wife from Jehovah is a wife, the gift of whom is a proof of 
his benevolent regard, i. e. a good wife. But a mere heritage 
may come to a bad man, as well as to a good one. 

(15) Sloth causeth a deep sleep to fall on one; and an idle person 
must go hungry. 

There is no object expressed after the verb "b^n , in order 
to show who is affected by the sleep. The indefinite one, or 
a man, is therefore implied ; which is expressed in the ver- 
sion. — TW*\ tSsj; , lit. deceitfid soul ; but as soul in very many 
cases means person or man, I have so rendered it here. As 
to i"Wn 3 it is used, in this book, for idle, slothful, because it 
is sloth which deceives, or disappoints, the expectations of 
the employer. The man that is. slothful, is of course the 
man who disappoints expectations. See in 10:4. 12 : 24. 
20 : 13. 

(16) He who keepeth the commandment, keepeth his own soul; 
1 it he who disregardeth his ways shall die. 

The commandment is that of Jehovah. — SntiS, lit. despis- 
eih, but here in the sense of disregard, i. e. neglect to pay 
any attention to his conduct. — The Qeri bids us read > 
shall die ; but the Kethibh exhibits trq^ in Hophal, which 
is stronger than the other form, since it — shall be put to 
death. In a gnome, this energic form is the most probable 
one. 

(17) He who hath mercy on the poor, lendeth to the Lord ; and his 
work will he reward to him. 

•Tiba , Part. Hiph., makes a loan to, here in the const, state, 
§ 132. 1. Z>, — here in its original sense, opus (either 
good or bad), i. e. anything done. — The only serves to 



Part II— Chap. XIX. 18—21. 



317 



designate with intensity the person who will be rewarded. — 
The Nom. to tibti?^ is of course Jehovah. Seghol here, because 
of the Maqqeph. 

(18) Chasten thy son, because there is hope ; but indulge not thy 
desire to slay him. 

A saying adapted to angry and passionate fathers, who 
may be in danger of wreaking vengeance on an offending 
child. Sentiment : ' Merely chasten, and not kill ; because 
there is hope, specially of a young person, that he may 
reform under suitable chastisement. Therefore go not 
beyond this, in such a case.' 

(19) A man of violent anger must suffer punishment ; for if thou 
shalt deliver him, thou must again repeat it. 

The Kethibh, Vna , makes no tolerable sense, even if we 
take the liberty, (as some have done), to make it = i^fa , 
lot, and so point it . Plainly, with all the ancient Ver- 
sions and the Masora (Qeri), we should read "Via, const, of 
b^j . The sense is given in the version. Comp. as to dic- 
tion, Dan. 11: 44. 2 Kings 22 : 13. — Another turn has been 
given to this verse by the older interpreters : ' If thou shalt 
deliver him from death (in reference to v. 18), yet thou 
must repeat thy chastisement, in order to restrain him.' 
This is more tame, and does not agree well with the first part 
of the verse. Meaning : c An irascible man will not be held 
in, even by kindness in his behalf; he must therefore be 
given up to chastisement.' 

(20) Hear counsel, and receive instruction, that thou mayest be 
wise in after-life. 

The word twritf signifies lit. the latter part, the after part. 
Meaning : c Get instruction and counsel when young, that 
you may be wise when you grow old.' 

(21) Many are the devices of a man's heart 5 but the counsel of 
Jehovah — that shall stand. 

27* 



818 



Part II— Chap. XIX. 22—24. 



Counsel of Jehovah is Nom. absolute ; Win resumes the 
subject of the sentence, and specifies with emphasis. So in 
the version. 

(22) The desire of a man is his kindness ; and better is a poor man 
than a liar. • 

To wish well, or to desire one's good, is a proof of kindness, 
in cases where only the wish can be indulged. We have a 
like proverb : " One must take the will for the deed" : — A 
poor man who wishes well, but needs kindness or charity, is 
better than a man who can show it and promises to show it, 
but still falsifies his promise. 

(23) The fear of Jehovah is unto life: he shall abide satisfied— he 
shall not be visited by evil. 

Jehovah, who gives life to those who fear him, will cause 
them to possess an abundance of what they need, and to 
remain unharmed by evil. — * The tropical sense of yb* is, to 
abide, permanere ; which meets the demand of the present 
case. — 55b = satisfied, i. e. supplied with all that one 
needs. — an, second Acc. retained by the passive which 
precedes it, § 140. 1. 

(24) The sluggard hideth his hand in the dish ; even to his mouth 
lie will not return it. 

This refers to the Oriental custom of eating, where knives, 
forks, and spoons, are dispensed with, and the guests help 
themselves by dipping their hand into the dish, and taking 
what they like ; see John 13:26. Mark 14 : 20. Matt. 26:3. 
— Hiding the hand is plunging it into the food, (which usually 
was, as to a part, in a semi-liquid state), until it is buried in it, 
so that the hand might come out filled with food. But the 
sluggard, who has thus filled his hand, will not make effort 
enough to bring it back to his mouth, choosing rather to go 
without the food, than to make the effort or exertion to feed 
himself. Liit. this need not be urged ; nor is it said with 



Part II— Chap. XIX. 25—27. 



319 



the design of being literally understood. It is a vivid and 
powerful, and also sarcastic reproof of the sluggard, by 
making his sloth ridiculous. The irony is plainly very 
severe and cutting, and will be read with satisfaction by all 
who love to be active and industrious. 

(25) Smite the scorner, and the simple will become wary ; reprove 
an intelligent man, and he will understand knowledge. 

Smite is here voluntative - f lit. ftsxn (Hiph. Imperf. of 
fiij) means : thou shalt smite. But the sense is as given in 
the version, viz., the conditional future or Imperative. — 
JT^itt , may be a Hiph. Inf. absolute, used as an Imper. hor- 
tative, § 128. 4. b. c ; although this form is not common 
here, but one with ( ) as final vowel, § 52. 2. n. 2. More 
probably it is Imper. hortative, which sometimes takes such 
a form, § 92. 2. n. 3, Ps. 94: 1. Is. 43: 8. Sentiment: 
6 Even a simpleton will grow wary by seeing scorners chas- 
tised ; much more will the intelligent profit by reproof.' 

(26) He that cloeth violence to his father, or chaseth away his 
mother, is a son who acteth shamefully and putteth to the blush. 

Strong precepts does the Old Testament everywhere ex- 
hibit against cruel and severe treatment of parents by their 
children. Even one out of the ten commandments is occu- 
pied with this subject. '■ — Chaseth away implies such abuse, 
as causes the mother to fly from her home. 

(27) Cease, my son, to hear the words of instruction, in order that 
you may wander from the words of knowledge. 

Ironically said, perhaps. The meaning would then seem 
to be thus : 6 Cease from listening to instruction, and the 
consequence will be, that you will wander,' etc. — The sec- 
ond Inf., Sniattft , is equivalent here to an Imperf. ; see on 
2:2, 8. Or we may resolve it thus, without irony : 
4 Cease to hear such instruction as leads to wander from 



320 



Part II— Chap. XX. 1, 2. 



the words of truth.' This is more simple, and therefore 
more probable. 

(28) A vile witness scorns justice 5 and the mouth of the wicked 
will greedily swallow mischief. 

A vile witness will utter that which will defeat justice, 
i. e. he will give false testimony. The wicked greedily swal- 
low injustice or wrong, as if it were a sweet morsel. But 
the implication of the latter clause seems to be, that still, 
what they devour will become noisome or poisonous to the 
system. In other words : , mischief, swallowed down, 
will be apt to breed mischief. 

(29) Judgments are prepared for scorners, and stripes for the back 
of fools. 

This verse seems to complete the preceding one. There, 
we have scorners of justice ; and here we have the punish- 
ment of scorners. They who swallow down )V& , must expect 
the consequences here threatened. 

Chap. XX. 1—29. 

(1) Wine is a scorner, strong drink is boisterous; and everyone 
who reels therewith is not wise. 

•nsttj , intoxicating drink ; rarely employed alone, but gen- 
erally associated with wine, as here. — y^ti , with the article, 
§ 107. Rem. 2. b. — Boisterous is characteristically said of 
most men who are drunk. — The common idea, that strong 
drink in the Scriptures, means something stronger than wine, 
is destitute of any good foundation. Wine was the strongest 
drink among the Hebrews, if the drinks that were drugged 
be excepted. None of the Palestine fruits yielded a juice 
so intoxicating as that of the grape. 

(2) Like the roaring of a lion is the terror of a king ; he who pro- 
voketh him sinneth against himself. 



Part II— Chap. XX. 3, 4. 



321 



Lit. thus : A roaring as of the lion is the terror, etc. Here, 
the terror of a king is that which he inspires in others. Such 
a dread of him gives an apprehension of approaching 
danger, like that which the roaring of the lion imparts. 
The same in the first clause of 19 : 12 above, with some 
slight variation of one particular. — V"£i?n», is a Part, in 
Hith., which here has an active sense, like Kal (§ 53. 3) ? 
and takes the Acc. pronoun after it. — iiasa ft^in, one is 
tempted to render : maketh himself a sinner ; but as the verb 
asn is intrans. we can hardly give the active Part, a 
Hiphilic meaning. Yet ^ah (in 8 : 36) might justify this, 
for the Acc. is there governed by the word. At least we 
must make iiziss to be a secondary Acc, indicating manner 
of sinning, etc. ; and translating accordingly, we have : he 
sinneth as to himself The sense is good ; but our idiom 
prefers the phraseology of the version above, since it is 
more direct. 

(3) To dwell away from strife is glory to a man; but every fool 
will involve himself in it. 

riSttj , the usual fern. Inf. of soj , to dwell, (not a SeghoL 
MU$ of the root raia, to cease, which nowhere occurs). The 
meaning of the first- is more significant than that of the 
second ; for it imports not merely ceasing from strife, but 
habitually keeping aloof from it. — $\$ty] > of the same 
meaning for substance as in 17 : 14. 18 : 1 ; the fool rolls 
on impetuously into strife, and glories in being engaged in it. 

(4) Because of winter, the sluggard will not plough ; and then he 
shall make inquiry in harvest time, and there is nothing. 

The Kethibh would read bix&i ? i* 1 Piel; but the Qeri 
bids us read . Either is good ; but the Qeri is the 
more forcible, = and then he shall inquire, — ■ Make inquiry, 
viz., for produce. — (Qamets in pause) is absolute, = 
there is not ; which is energic here. For Qamets under % 
see § 102. 2. d. 



322 Part II— Chap. XX. 5— 9. 



(5) Deep waters is a purpose in the heart of a man; but a man of 
intelligence will draw it out. 

Deep waters are difficult to be sounded. So a man's 
secret purpose or counsel it may be difficult to sound. Yet 
a man of skill will draw it out from its depths. Drawing 
out is a metaphorical expression occasioned by the pre- 
ceding image — deep waters. 

(6) The mass of men will proclaim each his own goodness; but 
the trusty man, who can find ? 

"in , the multitude, the many, and so the mass. When men 
are fond of boasting of their own virtues, it is ground of 
suspicion, and increases the difficulty of finding those who 
are really trust-worthy. — , lit. faithfulnesses == very 

faithful. 

(7) He who walketh in his integrity is a just man ; blessed are his 
children after him ! 

Not every one who boasts is to be trusted, but he who 
habitually discloses {walketh in) integrity of character, he is 
a true p*^s . — again as an exclamation. 

(8) A king sitteth on the throne of judgment ; he scattereth by his 
eyes all the evil. 

Not simply a declaration of fact, (for there are many 
kings who do not scatter the wicked), but a declaration of 
what a king thus elevated ought to do. A king who sits on 
a throne of true and proper judgment or equity, will drive 
away the wicked by keeping his eye on their conduct. 

(9) Who can say: I have purified my heart ; I have become pure 
from my sin. 

Purified as to this or that particular sin, or sins ? Or, 
purified from sinful desires and inclinations ? The latter 
seems to be the most significant. Meaning : 6 No one can 



Part IX— Chap. XX. 10—13. 



323 



say, that he is perfectly free from .sinful propensities.' 
" There is not a just man on earth, that doeth good and 
sinneth not." 

(10) A double weight and a double ephah are, even both of them, 
an abomination of Jehovah. 

Lit. stone and stone ; where a % as here, comes before the 
repeated noun, it denotes severalty or diversity, and not 
plurality, § 106. 4. I have translated double, because this 
corresponds to the words repeated, and also indicates a 
diversity. Two stones of the same weight would be useless ; 
at least, regarded in this way, the repetition would indicate 
nothing more than mere plurality ; which, however, is not 
here to the purpose. See Deut. 25: 13. 

(11) Moreover, by his doings a child will make himself known, 
whether his work is pure and whether upright. 

That is, a child's doings will be inconsiderate and rash, 
and thus they will show that he is but a child. His work 
will indicate, however, whether he is well or ill inclined ; 
for early in life is the disposition disclosed. 

(12) The ear which heareth, and the eye which seeth, even both of 
them hath Jehovah made. 

The implication is, of course, that he who made the ear 
and the eye, both hears and sees all things. Se§ the striking 
passage, in Ps. 94 : 9. 

(13) Love not sleep, lest thou become poor 5 open thine eyes, and 
be satisfied with bread. 

WJtt, Niph. of to inherit, but here possessing & priva- 
tive meaning, viz., dispossess. It is tm. — Open thine eyes, 
that is, as we say familiarly : Be wide awake, or, in other 
words, be active and diligent. — sab is Imp. ; but being a 
second Imp., it denotes consequence, § 127. 2. a. Lit. be 
satisfied with bread, but as verbs of fulness govern the Acc* 



324 Part II— Chap. XX. 14—16. 



of the noun which indicates the wherewith, the Heb. needs 
no preposition before dri , (Qamets in pause). 

(14) Bad! Bad! saith the buyer: and then goeth away and 
maketh his boast. 

Heb. lit. and going away for himself then he boasts. This 
would hardly be facile English ; but in Hebrew, a pronoun 
with h prefix is not unfrequent, specially after verbs of 
motion; see *\)-rfc , Gen. 12:1. Cant. 2:11. Job 6:19. 
Amos 2 : 13. Ewald, § 305. a. I have therefore slightly 
changed the form of the expression in the version. — For 
the rest ; every day bears witness to such conduct on the 
part of purchasers. They underrate the things they wish 
to purchase, in order to obtain them cheaper. 

(15) There is gold, and an abundance of pearls; but a precious 
vessel are the lips of knowledge. 

That is, gold and pearls are comparatively plenty ; but 
the lips of true knowledge are of rarer occurrence. They 
are like a precious and highly wrought vessel. — is a 
noun in the Gen. (= of preciousness), but it is here used as 
an adjective. 

(16) Take his garment, when he has pledged himself to a stranger ; 

and because of strangers, distrain him. 

The law obliged the creditor to leave untouched the 
necessary clothing of a debtor ; but he might take all super- 
fluous vestments. But in case of taking these, there was an 
apparent severity on the part of the creditor. The object 
of our text is to show, that in a case where a man becomes 
surety for others, his creditor will have to deal severely 
with him, in order to get his dues ; and such a man is not 
deserving of lenity. — d^S , strangers, is the reading of the 
Kethibh, and a good one, for it is generic. The Masorites, 
however, bid us read JiJ^s , and have so pointed the word. 
This would mean strange woman, and this same word is 



Part II— Chap. XX. 17—20. 325 



employed in 27 : 13. Compare, however, 6:1. The sense 
of this would be good ; but so is that of the other reading. 

— The last clause is plainly elliptical : Distrain (i. e. force 
by seizure) him [ivho has pledged himself] on account of 
strangers. — is like the Latin hostis, and means both 
stranger and enemy ; (root 'n-j) means a foreigner. 
Sentiment : ' Take the utmost precaution to secure a debt 
against a man, who becomes sponsor for every body and any 
body.' 

(17) Bread of deceit is sweet to a man; but afterwards, his mouth 
will be filled with gravel. 

Bread obtained by fraud is eaten with a high relish by 
some men ; but in the sequel, their mouth is filled with gravel ; 

— no very pleasant thing either to masticate or to swallow. 

— is adverbial here. 

(18) Devices will be established by counsel; and with skilful 
management make war. 

Shisiarra plur. fern. Nom. to "jiSiPi verb, sing., see § 143. 3. 

— ni^rnrina = xv^8Qvr](jig, pilotage, steering, management. It 
indicates here a wary control ; and being the plur. of inten- 
sity, it of course indicates skilful management. If this be 
lacking, success cannot well be expected. 

(19) He who goeth about as a slanderer, revealeth secrets; and 
therefore associate not with him who openeth his lips. 

He who openeth his lips, is the same as the ; for he 
speaks much and often. — ;TO3ntn , Hith., lit. mingle thyself 
here used as =join thyself, and so it has h after it in fiinbb . 

(20) He who treateth with contempt his father and his mother, his 
lamp shall be quenched in the midst of darkness. 

■jisHfcta is the Kethibh, and is right. The Qeri substitutes 
for it, which is a Syr. word, meaning darkness. But 
this is designated by t$?n . Still, both words might be used 
28 



326 



Part II- Chap. XX. 21—23. 



to heighten the intensity. The Kethibh, however, is well ; 
for means midst., central 'point; and hence (usually) 

the 'pupil of the eye, because of its central position. — The 
meaning is, that his lamp will be extinguished, when he 
needs it most, viz., when he is plunged in darkness. 

(21) Wealth may be* suddenly acquired in the beginning, but the 
end thereof will not be blessed. 

"Wealth suddenly acquired, is usually acquired by unjust 
and deceitful dealings. But to make out such a sense, we 
must read (with the Qeri) rfbnhtt, Pual Part, (n for n). 
The Kethibh must come from in a , which means to despise ; 
and this will give no tolerable sense. Ges. therefore proposes 
the same root in Arabic as our guide, which there means 
to be avaricious ; and then he translates our text by opes 
avaritia partae. But to say nothing of the change of mean- 
ing from he ivas avaricious (Arabic), to wealth acquired by 
avarice, we may ask : How does such an interpretation agree 
with at the beginning ? In the common course of things, 
avarice is a passion which nearly always increases by time. 
But in this case, we are called on to suppose, that the wealthy 
man was avaricious only at the outset ; and this is more than 
we ought to believe, unless we are forced to do so. The other 
meaning is much better, hastened, got hastily. — Will not be 
blessed, which is usually verified, in regard to large fortunes 
acquired by improper means. The heirs commonly dissipate 
the whole, and that within a moderate length of time. God's 
blessing rests not on such wealth. 

(22) Say not : I will repay evil; wait on Jehovah, and he will assist 
thee. 

This accords well with the tenor of the Sermon on the 
Mount. — Assist thee, Sti^'i ; so we may translate, for this 
verb often means opem tulit. 

(23) An abomination of Jehovah is a double weight ; and balances 



Part II— Chap. XX. 24—27. 327 



of deceit are not good. (24) From Jehovah are the steps of a man; 
how then can a man understand his way % 

For v. 23, see v. 10 above. V. 24, God guides the steps 
of man, i. e. he chooses and arranges for him his path. — irs 
is interrogative here, and equivalent to a negative. — Meaning : 
4 Man cannot know or determine with certainty his own way, 
since all is dependent on God.' 

(25) A rash utterance of consecration is a snare to a man ; and then, 
afterwards, to inquire into his vows. 

A verse of some difficulty. , if a verb here, seems = 
mh , to speak rashly or hastily. With Ewald and Bertheau, 
I should prefer the noun ; and so, in the version, have I 
rendered it. The accent is here upon the first syllable ; and 
this is its natural place, if the word is a noun. But if it be a 
verb, how can we account for the accent on the first syllable ? 

— IsHp , consecration, abstr. for concrete, and so == something 
consecrated or voiced to God. Here, of the next clause 
shows the meaning to be of such a tenor. — Sentiment : 
6 Make no rash vows ; keep those which thou hast made, and 
not reconsider so as to change them.' Comp. Ecc. 5 : 3 (2) 

— a striking parallel. 

(26) A wise king scattereth the wicked, and maketh the wheel to 
turn upon them. 

3l?J1, Hiph. of nri3, with accent retracted, and final Tseri 
shortened. — "Sis, wheel; and in this connection, a wheel 
employed to crush criminals. See the like in 2 Sam. 12 : 31. 
1 Chron. 20 : 3. Amos 1:3. Perhaps the imagery stands 
thus : c As the grain which is scattered, is rolled in ; so trans- 
gressors are scattered and crushed beneath the earth.' As 
we have no direct intimation elsewhere of punishing by the 
wheel, we are left in some doubt here as to the modus in quo. 

(27) A light of Jehovah is the soul of man; which searcheth his 
innermost parts. 



328 Part II— Chap. XX. 28—30. 



In other words : 6 A light given by Jehovah, is the soul, 
etc.' — trqm = ii3&5 , see Lex. It is the soul, which takes 
cognizance of man's most secret thoughts. 

(28) Mercy and truth will preserve the king ; and his throne will he 
support by mercy. 

Such qualities as are here mentioned, will make his throne 
stable and secure, since they will call forth the love of the 
people. 

(29) The ornament of youth is their strength ; but the glory of old 
men is their gray hairs. 

Each season of life has its appropriate ornament and 
excellence. — > lit. grayness. The version follows our 
own idiom. 

(30) Wounding stripes are the remedy for the base ; and strokes 
of the inner parts of the body. 

Ironically said, pvrap), as the Qeri has it, means the 
rubbing of precious ointments over the body in the way of 
cleansing and decoration. Tropically, the word may mean 
remedy, in reference to the rubbing in of remedial ointments. 
The base man requires a different application. His ointment 
is a covering over with wounding stripes, — Strokes of the 
inner parts, are, of course, those which go down deep into the 
body. The bad man's remedial applications, then, are not 
fragrant salves or ointments, but the application of stripes 
over the whole person, so severe that they penetrate deep 
into the body. 



Part II— Chap. XXL 1—4. 329 



Chap. XXI. 1—31. 

(1) As rivers of water, the heart of the king is in the hand of Jeho- 
vah ; he will incline it whithersoever he pleaseth. 

The Heb. omits as ; and so oftentimes when the comparison 
intended is very obvious. The image of turning f , etc., is 
derived from directing water-sluices, in the irrigation of land, 
in whatever manner the husbandman wishes. As irrigation 
is practised for the purpose of refreshing and rendering fruit- 
ful, so the implication seems here to be, that Jehovah will 
direct the heart of the king to purposes of good. — , Hiph. 
Imperf. of ftDJ , with suffix it, viz., the heart. 

(2) Every way of a man is right in his own eyes; but Jehovah 
pondereth hearts. (3) To do justice and judgment, is chosen by 
Jehovah rather than sacrifice. 

For v. 2, see 16 : 2, and comp. 16 : 25. 14 : 2. Y. 3 com- 
pares well with the thorough spiritual views of Is. 1: II — 17. 
Ps. 50 : 7 — 15. The b in ttimb , coming after a passive, may 
indicate the agent (§ 140. 2. § 151. e), i. e. it is Jehovah who 
chooses. 

(4) Loftiness of looks and pride of heart — the light of the wicked, 
is sin. 

and HYVi are both of the Inf. const., and are here used 
as abstracts. — High looks, every one understands. But the 
Heb. arn , lit. means being broad or loide = expansion. We 
say : The heart swells or dilates with pride ; and this is the 
Hebrew mode of expression. Hence the cause of dilation 
(pride), is here designated by the effects which it produces. 
. — == ^ is properly light ; but this has a tropical meaning, 
light being the symbol of joy. The word light is in apposition 
with the preceding loftiness and pride, and is a further 
description of the state of the wicked. It means here, their 
joy, or that which is matter of joy. So that not only lo ftiness 

28* 



330 



Part II— Chap. XXI. 5, 6. 



and pride are here said to be sin, but whatever is the object of 
the rejoicing of the wicked, is also reckoned a sin ; plainly 
because they delight in sinful objects. Light is here chosen to 
express this, because loftiness and pride beam forth from the 
eye, thus expressing the joy which they occasion. Sentiment : 
6 The haughtiness of sinners, although a matter of joy to them, 
is sin in the sight of God.' Possibly r. fit tan may here mean 
calamity, as it sometimes does (see Lex.) ; and then the 
contrast is prominent: 'That in which the wicked rejoice, 
will prove to be their calamity' This makes a facile sense. — 
I am aware that the word *iis< is the one commonly employed, 
for the tropical signification given above ; but light and lamp 
(T^) are often employed as nearly synonymous in poetry. 

(5) The plans of the diligent tend only to abundance; but every 
one who is hasty, is tending only to poverty. 

The diligent labors constantly, and in a prudent manner, 
with a well-concerted plan ; but he who urges on (yij) with 
haste to acquire a fortune, becomes poor. — I have supplied 
the word tends, in the version, because, in our tongue, the 
manner of the verse would appear too abrupt, without some 
appropriate supplement. Before f&H^j the noun nis^rra 
(from the preceding clause) may be supplied. This done, 
it will read thus : 6 The thoughts of the diligent tend only 
to abundance ; but [the thoughts] of every one who is hasty, 
tend only to poverty.' Comp. 28 : 20. 20 : 21. 

(6) By a lying tongue is there a winning of treasures; a fleeting 
breath, are they who seek death. 

b?b , not only work, but the reward of it, viz., the winning, 
the revenue. — tyni , chased, dispelled, referring to the manner 
in which one breath succeeds another ; consequently, fleeting. 
• — injra^ttjpM , usually translated as a Gen., viz., of those 
who seek death. But if this were the meaning, then f^a 
could not stand between the const, noun and the Gen. which 



Part II— Chap. XXI. 7, 8. 



331 



follows it. Grammar demands, therefore, another solution. 
Mashi read, in his exemplar, ^Bpis , snares ; and this Ewald 
and Bertheau prefer. The objections are, (a) This word 
stands in no known text, (b) In this way, it is in apposi- 
tion with knft j and certainly an unexpected epexegesis of it. 
The breath chased away, would hardly match well with 
deadly snares, which are laid down and fastened in their place. 

More simple seems to me the version which I have given 
above ; not however very confidently, for the passage is 
obscure. I understand the sentiment to be, that 6 they who 
use a lying tongue in order to acquire riches, are such as 
seek their own death, for they shall be as a fleeting breath, 
i. e. suddenly pass away.' The particle of comparison is 
indeed omitted ; but this is a matter of very frequent occur- 
rence. Those who seek death is fully explained by 8: 36. 
17: 19 ; on which see the remarks. The meaning is, that they 
act like men bent upon their own destruction. The two 
clauses of the verse do not directly correspond, in the way 
either of antithesis or of parallelism ; but there is a remoter 
correspondence, the first clause showing the evil committed, 
the second the sudden and fatal consequences of it. 

(7) Destruction shall sweep away the wicked; for they refuse to 
do justice. 

iti has the sense here given to it, in Is. 13 : 6. Job 5 : 22 ; 
and its root, T^ttj , often means to destroy. — W\pfl > Imperf. 
Kal, of Tnj . The 1 is a mere fulcrum, and is very rarely 
•written in the Imperf. of verbs 2$, § 66. n. 2. — £ T is the 
suffix. — ttSKE, Piel with Tseri, because cannot take a 
Daghesh. 

(8) He who is altogether perverted as to his way, is a guilty man ; 
but as to the pure, his work is upright. 

tjSSKi, Pealal form from ^arj, adj. in reg. with the noun 
that follows, and intensive in its meaning, as is exhibited in 
the version. — W , unique, and of an unusual form. It is 



332 Part II— Chap. XXI. 9—11. 

plainly an adjective, (comp. tjt which follows). The Arabic 
gives us light here, inasmuch as the corresponding noun 
there means crime, guilt. The older interpreters re- 
ferred the word to "it , stranger ; but without good reason. 
— feb Berth, refers to the same meaning as in v. 6, viz., 
winning, gain. But the consequences of actions are not here 
compared ; it is the actions themselves, for these are signified 
by in the first clause. Therefore ivork is the proper 
translation. 

(9) Better is it to dwell on the pinnacle of the roof, than with a 
woman of strife and a house in common. 

n|S , the turret at the corner of the roof, elevated above 
the roof, and so the highest and most exposed part of the 
house. — Better is such a habitation, exposed to tempest and 
cold, than a house in common with a brawling woman. — 
•n^rt rv>5 , lit. a house of association or companionship. Be- 
fore woman we may supply runts , and render thus : than 
^dwelling witK] a woman of strife, in one common house. 
Comp. v. 19 below, where is the same sentiment, but with 
variations of the diction. Comp. also 25 : 24. 

(10) The soul of the wicked greedily desireth evil ; his friend will 
not find compassion in his eyes. 

That is, the wicked is so greedy for evil, that even his 
friend will not be spared from being wronged. — inn^ , in 
Piel, and intensive. — }r\* = , Hoph. of . In the 
text, the ii is omitted in the writing, and of course Qibbuts m 
vicarious comes in its place. Lit. it means : be compassion- 
ated. 

(11) By the punishment of the scorner, the simple will become 
wise 5 and by admonition of the wise, he will acquire knowledge. 

Bertheau : And when the wise man prospers, he [the simple 
one] will acquire knowledge. Sine Minerva. The contrast 
lies between the different ways and consequences of instruc- 



Part II-Chap. XXI. 12—16. 



333 



tion. A simpleton learns only by being impressed with a 
fear of punishment; the wise man needs no more than 
admonition. 

(12) The Righteous One taketh cognizance of the house of the 
wicked : he will cast the wicked headlong into evil. 

As what is here said cannot be attributed to a mere 
righteous man, so the meaning must be as given in the ver- 
sion. — v^M ? to precipitate, to cast down headlong — a very 
strong word. 

(13) He who stoppeth his ear from the cry of the poor, even he 
shall cry aloud, and shall not be answered. 

SttSTD! , emphatic, even the very same. What he has done 
to others, shall be done to him, in the way of retribution. 

(14) A gift in secret averteth anger; and a bribe in the bosom — 
strong indignation. 

The word appears only here. The corresponding 
Arabic means to avert or divert As this sense is a 

good one here, we may accept it. — A bribe in the bosom is 
one clandestinely given, as in 17: 23. — Before the last two 
words, the verb of the preceding clause is of course implied. 

(15) The doing of justice shall be a joy to the righteous: but 
destruction shall be to the workers of iniquity. 

The meaning is, that the righteous shall have joy and 
peace because of doing justice ; while the contrary is true 
of the wicked. His work brings destruction. 

(16) A man who wandereth from the way of discretion, shall dwell 
among the assembly of the shades. 

Assembly means those who are congregated in the world 
of the dead. — d^sn means the ghosts or shades which dwell 
there ; comp. 2 : 18. 9 : 18. The wanderer from discretion 
will speedily be with them, i. e. sudden death hangs over him. 



334 



Part II— Chap. XXL 17—21. 



(17) A poor man who loveth pleasure, lie who loveth wine and oil, 
shall not he rich. 

The reason of this is obvious. He expends his property 
on his objects of pleasure, and therefore lays up nothing. 

(18) The wicked shall he a ransom for the righteous; and in the 
room of the upright shall be the treacherous. 

That is, the wicked and treacherous shall bring on them- 
selves the evil which they intended to do to the righteous, 
and thus their own destruction shall ransom the righteous 
from the doom to which they had assigned him ; comp. 11: 8. 

(19) Better is dwelling in a desert-land, than [dwelling with] a 
brawling and morose woman. 

See v. 9. Here the diction only is varied ; but still it is 
equally strong. The latter clause runs thus lit. : A woman 
of strifes and of moroseness. Here again, as in v. 9, ttti 
seems to be implied before nm . 

(20) Treasure to be desired and oil are in the habitation of the 
wise ; but the foolish man devours it. 

The treasure here seems to be an abundance of provision, 
for treasure here spoken of is joined with oil. The word 
extends to stores of all kinds, as well as to money laid up. 
That is, the wise man will secure ample provision for 
his household; the foolish man, (dnij the foolish of 

men, i. e. the most foolish), will devour all he has, instead of 
laying up some part of it in store. For phraseology, comp. 
15 : 20. The suff. refers to treasure, since it is in the 
sing, number. 

(21) He who pursueth after justice and mercy, shall find life, pros- 
perity, and honor. 

To find life, is very significant ; but other words are 
joined with it, in order to increase the intensity of the bless- 
ing promised. The second I have translated hj pros- 



Part II— Chap. XXL 22—26. 335 



perity, because this is appropriate to the nature of the prom- 
ise. There is no doubt that Hjj'js sometimes means salus 
= prosperity ; and indeed it does so in many cases ; see 
Lex. In this way we have a kind of paronomasia : ' He 
who practices ftpiS (as a matter of duty), shall receive 
fijj^ (as a matter of reward).' 

(22) A wise man scaleth the city of the mighty; and he bringeth 
down its strong asylum. 

Comp. the striking passage in Ecc. 9 : 13 — 16. — City of 
the mighty, is that which is defended by valiant men. — l Tn^T, 
(for Tii^ , apoc. Hiph. of W)? with accent retracted and 
shortened final vowel, while * is written for . — In hntt)M , 
the ti suff. should regularly have a Mappiq (ft), being a fern, 
suff. relating to W . The Masora notes the anomaly, but 
does not explain it. — First the walls of the city are scaled ; 
and then comes the prostration of the strong citadel within, 
the asylum of the inhabitants in a time of danger. 

(23) He who guardeth well his mouth and his tongue, keepeth his 
soul from distresses. (24) A proud man puffed up — scorner is his 
name ; he acteth with the arrogance of pride. 

For v. 23, see 13 : 2. — The inflated proud man, well de- 
serves the name of scorner, for he looks down on others 
with scorn. — So the last clause : he acts, or demeans himself, 
with haughty annoyance. 

(25) The sluggard's desire will destroy him : for his hands refuse 
to work. 

That is, the sluggard's desire to enjoy slothful repose will 
destroy him ; for in consequence of such an inclination his 
hands refuse to labor, in order tbat he might obtain some- 
thing for his support. — *i3rran , Hiph. of rm , with a suffix, 
Gramm. p. 289, first col. B. 

(26) Continually does he strongly desire ; but the righteous will 
give, and will not withhold. 



i 



336 Part II— Chap. XXI. 27—29. 



The sluggard (who is here in view) has a keen desire to 
obtain possession of something, but he cannot obtain it. The 
righteous, however, has laid up in store the fruit of his 
labors, so that he can give, and even be liberal. 

(27) The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination; how much 
more when he brings it with an evil design ! 

The offering of the wicked is in itself unacceptable, be- 
cause he cherishes neither love nor reverence for God. But 
when he brings it for the direct purpose of fraud, it becomes 
still more odious. 

(28) A lying witness shall perish ; but a man who hearkeneth, shall 
speak forever. 

Comp. 19 : 5, 9. — Whosoever hearkeneth, viz., to wise and 
good counsel, and so becomes instructed and steadfast — the 
same may speak always, and find confidence put in what he 
says. In Ps. 63 : 7 it is said : " The mouth of him that 
speaketh lies shall be stopped." The sincere listener to 
divine commands, on the other hand, will ever be at liberty 
to speak. 

(29) A wicked man maketh up an impudent face ; but as to the 
upright — he will establish his ways. 

I prefer the Kethibh in the last clause, which must be 
pointed thus : IW? "p^ . The Masorites (in Qeri) read : 
iS^rt "paj , he will understand his way. Either gives a good 
sense ; but I prefer the Kethibh as most significant. The 
first clause says, that a wicked man will act impudently, 
meaning that he will utter impudent and bitter language 
without consideration ; the second (if we take the Kethibh) 
says, that the upright man will choose a stable and consid- 
erate course. The Qeri, on the other hand, w r ould solve the 
matter thus : The impudent man acts without consideration ; 
the upright one understands and considers what he is about 
to utter. 



Part II— Chap. XXII. 1, 2. 



337 



(30) There is no wisdom nor intelligence, nor is there any counsel, 
like to Jehovah. 

■■ttA may mean against But this does not seem to be the 
design of the verse. The writer means to say, that com- 
pared with the divine wisdom, etc., there is no other to be 
mentioned. Probably Sre2§ is to be mentally supplied before 
Jehovah ; for this will make the whole run smoothly. Many 
take ijglj as = ^sb , in the view of. But the other sense is 
more significant. 

(31) The horse is prepared for the day of battle : but unto Jehovah 
belongeth deliverance. 

All the boasted preparations of man for victory in battle, 
are vain without the help of God, to whom belongeth victory 
or deliverance. This expands the sentiment of the pre- 
ceding verse. — "jDira, Part. Hoph. of "^3. 

Chap. XXII. 1—16. 

[It will be seen, that the series, beginning with X., ends here with t\ 
16. There is an admonition, in v. 17, of a transition to another cate- 
gory, viz., to the wqkds of the wise. This last, as it appears, 
actually comprises several subordinate collections of Proverbs. See 
Introduction, § 7.] 

(1) A good name is better than much wealth, and kind favor than 
silver and gold. 

In Hebrew, did of itself sometimes means good name: 
just as when we say in English : 6 He has made for himself 
a name' Comp. Ecc. 7:1. Job 30 : 8. — nrj )n , lit. means 
good or kind favor. 

(2) The rich and the poor meet together : the Maker of them all is 
Jehovah. 

*iis5aS3 , Niph. designating reciprocal action, like ^inis , 
§ 50. 2. b. For the Qamets in ft, see § 29. 4. b. For senti- 
ment, compare 14:31. 17:5. Meaning: 'Men, whether 

29 



838 



Part II-Chap. XXII. 3—6. 



rich or poor, have in common the same Creator, and stand 
in the same relation to him.' 

(3) The wary seeth the evil and hideth himself: but the simple 
rush on, and are punished. 

The vowels in "itjb'VJ belong to the Qeri, "itn&Sl. The 
Kethibh should be pointed thus : ^sns^l, which is the prefer- 
able reading, since 1 is then consequential, as it should be 
here, and the verb is reciprocal. — Sentiment : 6 The wary 
shun evil ; the unwary rush into it, and are compelled to 
suffer the consequences.' 

(4) On account of humility — the fear of Jehovah — are riches, and 
honor, and long life. 

TJiefear of Jehovah, is in apposition with humility, and the 
absence of the conjunc. \ between them, is indicative of this, 
for it shows that not accession, but further description, is 
designed. True humility comes only with the fear of God; 
they are inseparably connected ; and such is the view of the 
writer, in the passage before us. 

(5) Thorns — snares — are in the way of the perverse man ; he who 
regardeth his life will remove far from them. 

He keeps far away, who avoids the path of the perverse t, 
for in that path he will certainly encounter them. 

(6) Train up a child according to his way ; even when he is old, he 
will not depart from it. 

ism is very significant here. It means the lent of his 
mind or inclinations, the capacity which he has to pursue 
this occupation or that. Our English version : In the way 
he should go. Many a good sermon, and much excellent 
advice, have been founded on the text thus translated, and 
one feels a kind of regret to part with a precept so excellent. 
Yet the Hebrew can be made to mean no more, than that 
the child should be educated or trained up for usefulness, in 



Part II— Chap. XXII. 7, 8. 



339 



such a way as the bent of his genius (is^i'n , his own way, or 
the ivay which he chooses) indicates that he ought to be 
trained. In other words : Guique suum. As can 
mean only the way of the child, the morale couched under 
the phrase he should go, finds in reality no proper place 
here, although the sentiment in itself is excellent, and 
agreeable to the tenor of the Scriptures. An interpreter's 
business is rather to inquire what is said, than to conjecture, 
however ingeniously or piously, what ought to be said. — 
h|Ena, with a fern. suff. relating to Tp 1 ?, which is here fem- 
inine, and is in fact of the common gender. The last clause 
shows the strong hold education has upon the young, when 
it is suited to their capacities. 

(7) The rich shall rule over the poor, and the borrower shall bo a 
servant to the lender. 

This has no respect to civil rule, but to predominating 
and superior influence. — The lender has power to reduce 
the borrower to servitude, in case he delays to repay the 
loan which is due. 

(8) ' He who soweth mischief, shall reap calamity; and the rod of 
his insolence shall perish. 

The rod of his insolence, is the rod which he has employed 
in his insolent treatment of others. Or the more usual inter- 
pretation of ir^ns? , viz., his indignation, may be received ; 
in which case, the rod is that which, when angry, he em- 
ployed to chastise others. Compare Is. 14: 6. — >"&^ , con- 
sume away, perish ; but Ges. (in Lex.) : the rod . . . is 
prepared for him. But rta, to be complete, to come to an 
end, can hardly be turned into the shape of preparing any- 
thing. The rod of the insolent shall perish, and leave him 
destitute of means to inflict farther injury. J. H. Michaelis 
states the sentiment thus : " tandem consumetur, ut vicissim 
caedatur," i. e. his rod shall perish, that in his turn he may 



340 Part II— Chap. XXII. 9—11. 



be scourged. It is doubtful whether this last clause is 
implied here. — -'■YiSp'i, before Maqqeph, with short 6, and 
a 1 redundant, being retained here, because it was so written 
in the ground-form without the vowels. 

(9) He who hath a kindly eye — he shall be blessed; for he hath 
given of his bread to the poor. 

■pS iia, is said of him who looks on others (as we also 
say) with an eye of compassion. He will give charities, and 
then he will be blessed for his beneficence by those who 
receive it. So the latter part of the verse explains the first 
clause. 

(10) Expel the scorner and strife will depart; yea, contention and 
shame will cease. 

As the scorner is the cause of strife, so his departure will 
make it to cease. — b pbjj doubtless refers to the shameful and 
reproachful words and doings which contention provokes. 

(11) He who loveth purity of heart — is gentle of speech, his friend 
is the king. 

Bertheau says of this verse, that it is sehr schwer, very diffi- 
cult. So it would seem, if we look at the diversity among 
commentators. Yet the sentiment does not appear to be 
obscure. It runs thus : ' He that cherishes pure intentions, 
and uses gentle and decorous language, will be regarded 
with a friendly eye by the king.' — "ilinB (l redundant) in 
the const, state, from -rtiro = purity, whether we regard it 
as a noun, or as a neuter adjective, which amounts to the 
same thing. — There is no * [before )n, and it is probably 
because of apposition that it is omitted. The words of the 
apposition, in this case, however, are not merely explana- 
tory, but constitute an accession. The 1 might be employed 
here, but for brevity's sake, it can also be omitted. — Lips 
= language. Michaelis : 6 Whoever loves purity, grace [i. e. 
gracious or acceptable] will be his lips, and the king will he 



Part II— Chap. XXII. 12—15. 341 

his friend? Not badly; but the version above is perhaps 
more significant. In it, gentleness (abst.) is made = gentle 
(concrete). It is not a certain consequence, as a matter of 
course, that purity, of heart will make gracious lips, i. c. 
gentle and persuasive language, as the version of Michaelis 
would seem to imply. These are sometimes separated. 

(12) The eyes of Jehovah guard knowledge ; but he will make the 
words of the treacherous to rush headlong. 

Knoioledge must here be the abstract for concrete = the 
knoiving, the intelligent, A comparison with the second 
clause leads to the idea, that it is what the intelligent say or 
teach, which will be guarded and defended; while that 
which is uttered by the treacherous, will be frustrated or 
brought to ruin. 

(13) The sluggard saith : There is a lion in the streets: in the 
midst of the broad ways shall I be slain. 

Meaning : 6 The sluggard will make all possible objections 
to exertion, and even invent ridiculous excuses for not 
betaking himself to active duties.' 

(14) A deep pit is the mouth of strange women; he who is 
abhorred of Jehovah shall fall therein. 

The idea is, that what the mouth of such women utters, 
is destructive as a deep pit to the unwary youth. — bWt, 
Part. pass, in reg., the abhorred, or object of indignation. — 
"b^, Imperf. of bsj, with short o, and 1 redundant again. 
The 1 belongs only to the form of ; and even here, it is 
no more than a mere fulcrum, 

(15) Folly is bound up in the heart of a child : the rod of chastise- 
ment will remove it from him. 

A general truth, which shows the extent of human cor- 
ruption — a corruption which can be curbed only by chas- 
tisement. — The pronoun suff. it refers to folly ; him to the 
child. • 

29* 



342 



Part III— Chap. XXII. 17. 



(16) He who oppresseth the poor to make increase for himself, 
giveth to the rich — ■ surely to his own want. 

Wealth obtained by oppression, will in the end bring 
poverty. God blesses not such wealth; and therefore it 
cannot endure. — Giveth to the rich, i. e. to himself, who is 
made rich by oppression ; and because it is given to such a 
rich person, whose evil doings will bring calamity on him, 
such wealth as is thus acquired, will tend only to impover- 
ishment in the end. 

Part III. 

[Thus endeth the Second Division of the book of Proverbs, con- 
taining chaps, x — xxii. 16. What follows in Part III, is miscella- 
neous down to chap. xxv. It is collected from different sources, and 
might have the title which is proffered to us in v. 17, viz., The 
Words or the Wise. The divisions under this category are some- 
what peculiar, and are thus distinguished : (a) 22 : 17 — 21, exhortation 
to hearken to the words of the wise, with reasons for so doing, and 
with a reference to what has already been said. (6) 22 : 22—23 : 11, 
containing ten warnings, mostly comprised in two verses for each, 
(c) 23 : 12 — 24: 2, ten more warnings of the like form, (d) 24 : 3 — 
22, consists of twenty verses, among which are seven couplets ; three 
single verses ; and three more together as one, viz., vs. 10 — 12. 
(e) 24 : 23 — 34, a small supplement, with a separate title, and probably 
derived from a different source. These are not marked by any special- 
ity of arrangement. See a more particular account of these divisions, 
in the Introduction, § 7.] 

(a) 22 : 17— 21.— (Introduction.) 

(17) Incline thine ear and hear the words of the wise; and 
apply thy mind unto my knowledge. 

tail, apoc. Imp. Hiph. of iraj. — in^Fi, Hiph. Imperf. 

second pers. used for the Imper. — My knowledge, means 
that which I possess and communicate. This knowledge is 



Part in— Chap. XXII. 18—20. 



343 



derived from the words of the wise, and it is worthy of, and 
demands, earnest attention. 

(18) For it is comely when thou dost keep them in thine inner 
part 5 [when] they are altogether fixed upon thy lips. 

Keep them, viz., the words of the wise. — Thine inner part, 
i. e. the innermost recesses of the mind. — Fixed altogether 
upon thy lips, means that the words of the wise should be so 
thoroughly considered and learned, that the learner will 
have them then all as it were upon his lips, that is, be 
always ready to speak of them, or to recite them. "We 
express the like idea by saying : Learn by heart, i. e. make 
them quite familiar. — I'nrp , unitedly, altogether, i. e. the 
whole of them, each and every one of them. 

(19) That thy confidence may be in Jehovah, I have made [them] 
known to thee, this day, even to thee. (20) Have I not written to 
thee heretofore, concerning counsel and knowledge ? 

V. 19, Even to thee, iin^ oa, in the same case as *j the 
suff. of the verb, and in apposition with it, being a case of 
the pronoun repeated for the sake of intensity ; see § 119. 3. 
I have translated to thee, in accordance with our English 
idiom. Even to thee means, that his present communication 
is designed specially for the person addressed, and not pri- 
marily for another. — To-day = now, that is, at the time 
when he was writing. — V. 20, the Kethibh reads EYttJbttS, 
which, in other cases, is accompanied by biain , the latter 
meaning yesterday, and the former lit. the day before yester- 
day. But Diltfittj is not confined to this specific meaning, 
but has also a more general meaning, viz., formerly, in time 
past, ante hac. That such a sense is here needed, the anti- 
thesis in &i*fi shows. The former writing probably means 
the previous portions of this book. In this way, all is facile 
and plain. But when, with many others, we write D^b^ 
(so the Qeri), and translate it three times or threefold = often- 



Part III— Chap. XXII. 21—23. 



times ; or three things = the Law, the Prophets, and the 
Hagiography ; it looks strange — the last looks passing 
strange. Nor is it mended, by deriving the word from 
^ttpb^, third, which is sometimes equivalent to leader or 
prince, and in this way the plur. in our text comes to mean 
princely things [?]. All these are unnecessary, and in fact 
are incongruous. — The first verb ^Fi^fi , rendered as Perf., 
means that he has already determined on the communication 
to be made. If the simple Present were intended here, we 
should have ^tf swiB . 

(21) To make thee know the truth of faithful words ; that thou 
mightest make answer with words which are truth, to those who sent 
thee. 

tV2# twax , in the second clause, are the Acc. of instru- 
mentality or of manner, and are in apposition, as exhibited 
in the version. — is inserted merely in order to define 
and qualify the preceding word D^ax . We might render 
it simply true, faithful. The version above gives more ex- 
actly the shape of the original. — ^hb'tob is regarded by 
Berth, as plur. of excellence, as in . It seems to refer 
to the king, or to some superior, to whom answer or report 
is to be made ; see 10 : 26. 

[Next follow, in (b), ten warnings, the major part of which is com- 
prised in two verses each. But vs. 23 : 9, and 28, 29, each contains 
a complete gnome in itself ; and 23 : 1 — 3 and 6 — 8, each comprises 
three verses linked together by the sense. These artistic combina- 
tions are manifestly the effect of design and arrangement. One half 
of the ten consists of couplets, two are triplets, and three are single. 
They seem to be intermingled for the purpose of variety in manner.] 

(22) Rob not the poor, because he is poor ; and oppress not the 
afflicted in the gate ; (23) For Jehovah will plead their cause ; and he 
will despoil those, who rob them of life. 

V. 22, Because he is poor, and therefore cannot resort to 
the courts of justice for retribution. — In the gate, i. e. in the 



Part III— Chap. XXII. 24—28. 



345 



place where courts are held> and causes decided. V. 23, If 
thou shalt oppress, Jehovah will be their advocate and vin- 
dicator. — the plur. suff. refers to p^, but this is 
generic, i. e. a noun of multitude. — "dsj , Acc. of limitation, 
§ 116. 3. 

(24) Associate not with him who is prone to anger; and have no 
intercourse with the man who is hastily provoked ; (25) Lest thou 
learn his ways, and get a snare for thy soul. 

Y. 24, s kV irri , apoc. Hithp. of Sisn ; the full form would be 
in^nn. — 5^-^55, master of anger is said of one prone to 
anger. So sni'ih , its counterpart, is very significant, lit. 
= a man of indignations, the plur. being plainly intensive, 
which is virtually expressed in the version. — ninn , is 
rendered by Bertheau : come not [together] tvith the man, etc. 
But Mia , followed by with (as here), means : consiietudinem 
inire ; Ges. Lex. 1. e. The version is not literal, but ad 
sensum. It is hardly necessary to insert the word together, 
— ? ~fi l0U take, obtain, get. But what is the snare ? It 
is the example of passionate demeanor, which, if copied, will 
prove dangerous to a man's life. 

(26) Be not with those who strike hands ; with those who pledge 
themselves for debts ; (27) If thou hast nothing to pay, why should 
he take thy bed from under thee ? 

Comp. 6 : 1 — 4. — nitf , tribute, but here debts, quasi 
tribute to the creditor. — Why shoidd he (i. e. the creditor) 
take thy bed? i. e. for debt. All but necessary clothing could 
be taken for debt. We should count a bed as a part of this 5 
but in Palestine, a bed was merely a cushion or piece of 
carpet, for the most part, and it could be replaced by other 
substances, which would make a comfortable layer, in that 
warm country. 

(28) Move not back the ancient boundary, which thy fathers made. 
If the literal sense be intended, then its parallel may be 



346 



Part III— Chap. XXIII. 1—3. 



found in Deut. 19: 14. 27: 1£. But I take the leading 
sense to be tropical here = ' Change not the ancient and 
approved usages of the fathers.' — dbi" , ancient time. The 
verse here makes a sense complete in itself, and it needs no 
supplement. — Wft , Hiph. of , with shorter form, and 
hortative, § 52. 2. n. 4. 

(29) Seest thou a man dexterous in his work, he shall take his 
stand before kings, and not before obscure men. 
* 

A verse of triplex form ; which is unusual here. In 
, the & is otiant. The word is contracted from 
iFOsbE , by throwing the vowel of the at , in this last word, 
back on the preceding letter. In other words : 6 The skil- 
fully industrious, or dexterous, will become rich, so as to 
attract the notice and friendship of kings.' — d^S^n Part, 
adj. of the Pulal form, and intensive. This verse also is 
complete in itself and independent. 



Chap. XXIII. 1—10. 

(1) When thou sittest down to dine with a ruler, consider well what 
is before thee; (2) Eor thou wilt put a knife to thy throat, if thou 
hast a keen appetite. (3) Do not crave his choice viands, for they 
will be bread of deceit. 

V. 1, b p^n ta p^, § 128. 3. Unj})reit renders whom, 
i. e. consider that you are before a superior — a possible 
sense, but not the most appropriate. — Y. 2, For thou wilt 
put a knife to thy throat, etc., that is, thou wilt incur great 
danger, etc. The ground of danger is disclosed, which is, 
that the individual who has a keen appetite, will not be 
likely to restrain it. £33 possessor of appetite, indi- 

cates such an individual. The danger from a keen appetite, 
with attractive viands set before it, is obvious. A man will 
almost of course feed gluttonously ; and so doing, he will 



Part III — Chai\ XXIII. 4—8. 



347 



degrade himself, for he will appear like a starveling, in the 
eyes of the ruler. 

V. 3, lijnn, apoc. Hithp. of rvjH, the at the end is an 
unusual form, employed instead of las— , the latter conform- 
ing to rule, § 74. n. 9. — Km 1 ], for it — what ? The preced- 
ing noun is plural, and the anomaly seems to have escaped 
the commentators. I see no other solution, than by supply- 
ing mentally a word which comprises the generic sense of 
food; and the context naturally supplies isx esca = viands. 
— Bread of deceit, because the delicacies are so appetizing 
as to mislead and deceive. — Here three verses are closely 
connected, in one admonition. 

(4) Do not weary thyself in order to become rich j cease from thine 
own understanding. (5) Wilt thou suffer thine eyes to fly toward 
it ? It is indeed no more ; for it will surely make to itself wings, and 
like an eagle fly away toward heaven. 

V. 4, Cease from reliance on thine own sagacity ; for it 
cannot secure the object in view. — V. 5, in fcpStjfj the fi is 
interrogative ; and the verb, in conformity to the Qeri, 
should be written £p?tj 3 in Hiph. — Wilt thou suffer thine 
eyes to fly to it ? viz., riches, ^W2f implied, or the ^Wri of v. 
4 ; and to fly to it, means, to look at it eagerly and often, with 
animated or swift glances. — For i3i rtto, see § 128. 3. — 
, without the article ; which more usually stands after 
3. — fcpsi , Bertheau converts into tfiS*], = and a bird; but 
the Qeri is better, viz., tjiisj , will fly. His method of con- 
struction leaves the clause destitute of any verb of motion, 
which should precede ttroiBijf, i. e. toivard heaven. The 
word is here used adverbially, as designating place. 

(6) Eat not the bread of him that hath an evil eye ; and desire not 
his choice viands ; (7) For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he ; eat 
and drink, saith he to thee, but his heart it not with thee. (8) Thy 
morsel which thou hast eaten — thou shalt vomit it up, and then thou 
shalt lose thy sweet words. 



348 Part III— Chap. XXIII. 9—11. 



V. 6, ^ , lit. evil of eye, i. e. one who lias a malignant 
design in view. — ixrifi , as in v. 3 above. — V. 7, '-iSfttf, not 
elsewhere in Heb. as a verb, which has occasioned some 
trouble among critics. The Sept. read ^teJ , hair ; the Chald. 

, gate ; and others have given other meanings, none of 
which suit the passage. The meaning given above is 
vouched for by the Chald. ^i^ili \ to think. Sentiment : 6 The 
true character of the host is indicated, not by his language, 
which is all comity, but by his designs. — V. 8, iislioptn , 
Hiph. of ftip , with a suff. fern, relating to 5?pnS3 , which is fern. 
— , Piel of r.fitt? , with n radical written by Daghesh 
in the suff. formative Sn . — The sweet words are those, which 

T ' 

invited and which caress the guest at the feast. They are 
lost to the guest, since he vomits up his food, through dis- 
gust, and loses all pleasure in the entertainment. Senti- 
ment : 4 Beware of flattering and deceitful men, who show 
you special civility only to mislead you, and to put you off 
your guard. Their courtesies will be loathed, when their 
real design comes to be known.' — Here are three connected 
verses again. 

(9) Speak not in the ears of a fool, for he will despise the wisdom 
of thy words. 

That is, waste not your time in addressing him, who 
despises all you have to say. " Cast not your pearls before 
swine." 

(10) Remove not the ancient boundary; nor go into the fields of 
orphans; (11) For their Redeemer is mighty; he will plead their 
cause with thee. 

V. 10, Take not possession of the orphan's field by en- 
larging the bounds of thine own, so as to encroach upon 
him. Think not that he has no vindicator ; for an Almighty 
One will plead his cause. — With thee, i. e. in contest with 
thee. — Here again is the couplet, i. e. two connected verses ; 
and this completes the first series of ten admonitions. 



Part III— Chap. XXIII. 12—18. 349 



(c) Ten more admonitions, of unequal length, 23 : 12 — 24 : 2. 

(12) Apply thy heart to instruction, and thine ear to the words of 
knowledge. 

This is merely an exhortation to attend diligently to the 
instruction which he is about to communicate, and does not 
belong properly to the ten admonitions, — with the 

article, because the specific instruction of the teacher who 
warns, is here meant. 

(13) Withhold not chastisement from the child, for shouldest thou 
smite him with the rod, he will not die. (14) Do thou smite him 
with the rod, and thou shalt deliver his soul from the world beneath. 

The child, with the article, which refers to the child of the 
person addressed ; and so with the rod, i. e. the appropriate 
rod of a teacher. — "i&spa has the sense of chastisement here, 
as the sequel shows; in v. 12, the meaning is different. — 
, 2d pers. Imperf. Hiph. of nsj , with a suffix. — Deliver 
his soul, etc., i. e. save him (by amending his life) from 
sudden and unexpected death. — {Two verses in admonition 
first) 

(15) My son, if thy heart is wise, my heart will be glad, even mine.- 
(16) And my reins shall exult, when thy lips shall utter things 
upright. 

&a, a repetition of the suff. in see § 119. 3, 
and comp. Pro v. 22 : 19. — Reins, is only a variation of the 
diction, the meaning being equivalent to that of heart. — 
Things upright, can be spoken only by the truly wise. — 
(Admon. 2, in two verses.) 

(17) Let not thy heart envy sinners ; much rather, be in the fear 
of Jehovah continually. (18) For if there is a hereafter, thine expec- 
tation shall not be cut off. 

Umbreit renders by being zealous for ; but this would 
demand b after it, while here we have a , which gives the 

30 



350 



Part III— Chap. XXIII. 19—22. 



verb the sense disclosed in the version; see in 3 : 31. 24: 
19. — The da ^3 , in v. 17, there meaning much rather, differs 
from the same in v. 18, where ^3 is causal, and □£ means if 
conditional, not dubitative. Suppose we say: 6 If God 
lives, we will do so and so,' we mean not to express a doubt 
of his existence, but a condition ality which we regard as a 
certainty. So here, if there is a hereafter, implies that the 
writer regards it as certain that there is one. - — But what is 
rwn&t ? A hereafter is the literal sense. But is it the hour 
of death ? Or that which comes after that hour ? The end, 
or hereafter, must at least mean here, the end of trials and 
of sins. But this comes only with the end of life. The 
hereafter, then, seems to be that of the future world. If not, 
what is that hope which will not be disappointed ? All 
hope of stable peace and joy in this world, is surely falla- 
cious ; but the hope now in question is not so ; see and 
comp. 24: 14, 20. — {Two verses again in division 3.) 

(19) Do thou hear, my son, and be wise, and make thy heart go 
onward in the way. (20) Be not among those who greedily swallow 
down wine, among those who are prodigal of flesh for their gratifica- 
tion. (21) For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to want j 
and slumbering shall clothe with rags. 

V. 19, The way, with article, i. e. the way which he is 
marking out. — Y. 20, ibVf , prodigal, i. e. consuming large 
quantities. — i"oh , lit. for them, i. e. for their own gratifica- 
tion, Dat. commodi. — c^rnp , second Acc. after iZ^abfi , § 135. 
3. a. The direct Acc. of the main object is omitted in the 
Hebrew, but is easily supplied, viz., one, man. Our idiom 
obliges us to supply a with, in such cases of second Acc. 
We may, however, imitate the Hebrew here, by translating 
thus : shall put on rags. (Three verses.) 

(22) Hearken to thy father who begat thee; and despise not th} 
mother when she is old. 

til , who, a relative here, which is unusual ; see Lex. No 
2. — Who begat thee, describes the relation, and implies the 



• Part III— Chap. XXIII. 23—28. 351 



consequent obligation to hearken. This is implied, too, in 
the case of the mother. — Despise not is meiosis, i. e. a neg- 
ative for a positive precept. It means therefore the same 
as, Pay her all the deference which is due. (No. 4, one.) 

(23) Buy the truth, and sell it not; wisdom, and instruction, and 
understanding. 

Buy, means acquire, obtain, nsp . — Sell it not, i. e. prize 
it so highly, that no consideration will induce you to part 
with it. — The last three nouns have Snip implied before 
them ; and the description thus becomes cumulative, in order 
to include every species of wisdom and instruction. (No. 6, 
one verse.) 

(24) The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice ; and he who 
begetteth one that is wise, shall verily have joy in him. (25) Thy 
father and thy mother shall rejoice ; yea, she who bore thee shall have 

joy. 

V. 24, is the Qeri, and also in several Mss. The 

Kethibh must be pointed thus : itoj bia . Both forms are 
normal, that of the Qeri is more common. The intensity 
which this phraseology designates, is expressed in the ver- 
sion. — The ^"bi^i here reads in the Qeri, ^V^l; hence the 
Sheva in the text, which now stands without any consonant, 
is designed for the marginal word. That consonant, (l), the 
Qeri supplies ; and rightly. Hence, in the Qeri, the 1 be- 
fore tv^l)*] (now written in the Kethibh) is dropped. The 
sentiment of v. 24 seems to be repeated in v. 25, for the sake 
of emphasis on intensity. (No. 7, two verses.) 

(26) My son, give me thy heart, and let thine eyes take pleasure in 
my ways. (27) Tor a deep ditch is a harlot ; and the strange woman 
a narrow pit. (28) Yea, she like a robber will lie in wait; and the 
treacherous among men will she increase. 

Y. 26, the Kethibh would be pointed inSSpfi = SWlfjft , 
from . But the Qeri has Wjjttn (from ^3), which means : 



352 Part III— Chap. XXIII. 29, 30. 



shall watch over, or observe. The last is more congruous ; 
the first more intense. — V. 27, a narrow pit, into which if 
one falls, he cannot get out. — V. 28, Cpft , lit. robbery, but 
here the abstract is put for the concrete = robber. Or we 
may suppose that it stands for £pn tt3^ . — The treacherous 
will she increase, i. e. by her wily arts of allurement, she 
brings her wooers within her influence, and subjects them to 
her demands ; so that they betake themselves to fraud and 
treachery, in order to procure wherewith to pay the price of 
their unlawful pleasures. (No. 8, three verses.) 

(29) Who hath wo ? Who hath sorrow 1 Who hath strifes 1 Who 
hath solicitude ? Who hath wounds without cause ? Who hath 
blurred eyes ? 

The designed assonance in "nat and ^inx is very palpable, 
^itf is our exclamation Oh ! in the way of expressing an- 
guish. — ^ina is first poverty (root Jrr^x , No. 2), then misery 
or sorrow. — rp'vZ) is deep and earnest thought or reflection, 
when the mind is agitated ; and so, solicitude. — Wounds 
without cause, are such as a man in any way inflicts on him- 
self, by his own folly. — Blurred eyes, are the unfailing ac- 
companiment of drunkenness, n^bsn , lit. means obscurity, 
darkness. — The repetition of *"nh , to whom ? gives energy 
and vivacity to the questions. 

(30) Those who tarry long over the wine; those who enter in to 
make trial of mingled drink. 

For the first clause, comp. Is. 5: 11, where the same 
expression occurs. Long sessions for compotation, is the 
usual custom of drunkards. ■ — t*!S;2 , enter in, i. e. into the 
house where wine is kept. — Tfe'Q'ft wine mingled, viz., with 
intoxicating spices or drugs — a common resort of drunk- 
ards. This is wholly different from the mingled wine of 
Wisdom in 9 : 2. The mixture there is with water or milk, 
or with both of them. — In Heb., the b is prefixed to both 



Part in— Chap. XXIII. 31—34. 



353 



of the participles, in order to answer the previous question, 
■to ? But we need not follow out this as to the form of 
the answer, since we have not adopted it in translating the 
questions ; for these are rendered by : who hath ? 

(31) Look not on the wine, when it seemeth beautifully reel, when 
it sparkleth in the cup, when it goeth down smoothly. 

, apoc. Imperf. Kal of nan ; see § 74. n. 3. b. — EtfiKffi , 
shows itself as ruddy. In the version, an additional shade is 
given to the meaning, which seems here to be indicated by 
the verb. — Sparkleth, Heb. gives its eye, which tropically 
designates w T hat we call sparkling. The sparkles resemble 
the pupils of little eyes. — The Kethibh o^s , purse, would 
make no tolerable sense here. The Qeri &3 is the true 
reading. — tjkW 1 . , goes along, i. e. goes down the throat. — 
Smoothly, lit. evenly, i. e. with no roughnesses ; Yulg. blande. 
The smoothness here spoken of, is highly appreciated by 
wine-drinkers, and is called by them mellowness. 

(32) In its sequel, it will bite like a serpent, and sting like a viper. 

T]i^ (in pause), Imperf. Kal of ?|tt3j . In this verse, the 
article is twice omitted after the 3 of comparison ; which 
seems to be poetic or gnomic license. The images of the 
sequel of drunkenness, are vivid and impressive. 

(33) Thine eyes shall see strange women ; and thy heart shall utter 
perverse things. 

Intoxicating drink excites to lust. Hence strange icomen 
will be sought after. — Of course, the heart of an intoxicated 
person utters he knows not what, and usually all manner of 
perverse things. 

(34) And thou shalt be as one who lieth down in the midst of the 
sea ; as one who lieth on the mast-head. 

The lying down, means sleeping, or endeavoring to sleep. — 
Midst of the sea, implies the midst of a rolling sea, which is 
30* 



354 Part III— Chap. XXIV. 1, 2. 



agitated by the wind. In such a condition, a stupid, careless 
sleeper may easily be rolled overboard. — More exposed still 
is he, if he sleep at mast-head, where the rocking or reeling is 
much more violent. — The imagery here is more impressive 
and terrible, than that of the preceding verse. 

(35) " They have smitten me, [saith he], but I am not sick ; they 
have beaten me, and I have not known it ; when I shall wake up, I 
will seek it yet again ! " 

Words put into the mouth of the inebriate. He does not 
apprehend any danger. His friends warn him of sickness 
and blows and wounds ; but he derides them in the language 
of the text. 6 They have smitten me, (you say), but I am 
not made sick ; they have beaten me, (you say), but I have 
felt no bruises. No ; I will not hear your advice ; but as soon 
as I have slept, I will again seek the cup.' — This seems to 
import, that what he utters, is said under the influence of 
much wine ; for he calculates on a sleep, before he shall be 
able again to seek his . What he says, is in contempt or 
ridicule of the admonitions of friends ; and the resolve to 
seek the cup again, shows in a striking manner the indomitable 
appetite of the inebriate. — tp&itf here simply makes the 
sense of again, or repetition, being put before another verb, 
§ 139. 3. h. — , farther, strengthens this assertion, in 
respect to renewing his potations. — A vivid picture of the 
dangers and progress of the drunkard. (No. 9 has seven 
verses.) 

Chap. XXIV. 1, 2. 

(1) Be not envious of evil men ; desire not to be with them. (2) 
Tor their heart meditateth violence ; and mischief do their lips speak. 

V. 1, for the first clause, comp. 23: 17. — lanfl, see on 
23 : 3. V. 2, for ojtij , comp. 15 : 28. (No. lo/two verses.) 



Part III— Chap. XXIV. 3—7. 



355 



(d) Chap. XXIV. 3—22. 

[This division is separated from the preceding one, by no definitive 
mark, excepting that it begins anew the subject of wisdom, and 
continues it more or less directly through seven verses. The rest is 
miscellaneous ; but there are here fewer of simple parallelisms in which 
the sense is completed, than is usual elsewhere in this book ; see the 
composite sentences in vs. 3—9; 11, 12; 13, 14; 15 — 18. With v. 23, 
another addition, a new one, evidently commences.] 

(3) By wisdom shall a house be built up; and by understanding 
shall it be established. (4) And by knowledge shall the chambers be 
filled — with all wealth precious and pleasant. 

V. 3, house, not the edifice merely, but its tenants also 
included. Discretion will establish a family. — V. 4, precious, 
i. e. of great value. — Pleasant, i. e. such things as administer 
to the pleasure of the indwellers. — li* 1 "^? > Acc. after a verb 
of filling, § 135. 3. b. 

(5) A wise man is strong; and a man of knowledge make th firm 
his strength. 

Tlsa , lit. in strength = strong. — Y%WQ , renders firm or 
robust. 

(6) For with skilful management must thou make war for thyself; 
and there is discretion in much counsel. 

rnbarifi , not simply HvfisQvnai-g of some kind or other, in 
this case, but in the sense exhibited in the version ; comp. 
20: 18. — t\b , Dot. commodi, i. e. for thine own benefit. — 
vs'p-Jl'n = many a counsellor. I have given the substantial 
idea in the version, and turned the concrete mto the abstract, 
in conformity to our idiom. — In other words : 6 Success in 
war depends on well digested plans, made by the advice of 
much counsel. 

(7) Wisdom is very high to a fool ; he openeth not his mouth in the 
gate. 

fttaan , elevations, plur. of intensity. The a is a mere 



356 



Part III— Chap. XXIV. 8—11. 



fulcrum; root Wi. — r\ton, see on 1 : 20. It is here a 
plur. abstract, and of course with the meaning of a singular. 
It also comprises an idea of intensity, quasi sound wisdom. 
Wisdom being very high, the fool cannot attain to it. — 
Therefore he must not open his mouth in the gate, for there 
causes are tried and decided ; and, consequently, much 
wisdom is needed there. 

(8) He who contriveth to do evil — men shall call him master- 
schemer. 

ft, although it stands first, for the sake of emphasis, in 
reality is constructed with the verb of calling, which takes b 
before the person or thing named. — The name itself is in 
the Acc. ; and so it is here, as to rrat?2-^:n . The exact 
idea of this phrase is given in the version, with the excep- 
tion, that here niftta is taken in the had sense, so that the 
phrase is equivalent to trickish, crafty. — Before Wlpl , the 
indef. Nom. they, or men, is of course to be supplied. 

(9) The device of folly is sin ; and a scorner is an abomination to 
a man. 

A fool devises something in accordance with his own 
views and feelings, and therefore something sinful. — In d'jfcft 
we have an example of b after the const, form, § 114. 1. 

(10) If thou hast become relaxed in the day of distress, thy strength 
is straitened. 

^Relaxation is the opposite of strenuous exertion ; and for 
the latter, the day of distress calls. In such a state, viz., 
one in which a man feels but little power to make effort at a 
time when much is needed, that small power is of course 
reduced to straits. — "I2S , third Kal Perf. from tie . 

(11) Deliver thou those who are drawn away to death ; and those 
who are tottering to the slaughter, 0 do thou keep back ! 

d^ripb ? taken off, dragged away. — The death . . . the slaugh- 



Part III— Chap. XXIV. 12—14. 357 

ter, with the article in Hebrew, i. e. death by the execu- 
tioner, which is specific. — dtt , here a particle of wishing ; 
like el ydo in the New Test. I have so translated it ; eee 
Lex. dtf, C. 3. This particle demands the Imperf. after it, 
which accordingly here makes its appearance. — This refers, 
of course, to an interference on the part of the- humane, in 
order to deliver those who are unjustly accused and sen- 
tenced to death. 

(12) Although thou shouldest say: ' : Behold! we know not this ; " 
he that pondereth hearts — doth not he know ? Yea. he that guardeth 
thy soul, doth know ; and he will reward every man according to his 
work. 

fctttt, he above all, or he knows, although there be no other 
one who knows. isbl , Bertheau renders interrogatively. 
But then we have to bring forward abii . This may be done ; 
but I prefer the affirmative sense as given above. — He who 
guards the soul, must of course know all the deeds of man. 

(13) My son, eat thou honey, for it is good ; and honey-comb upon 
thy palate is sweet ; (14) So do thou obtain knowledge of wisdom for 
thy soul ; if thou hast found it, and there is a hereafter, then thine 
expectation shall not be cut off. 

V. 13. Of course, the literal sense of this, as a command, 
would not at all comport with the ultimate design of the 
writer. It is merely the first member of a comparison ; the 
second of which is introduced by , so, in the next verse. 

— V. 14. So, i. e. in like manner as honey is good and 
sweet, let a knowledge of wisdom be pleasant and precious. 

— , with ft- paragogic, instead of fi- , Imp. of 3>Tj ; 
(which in a few instances takes place, see 1 Sam. 28 : 15. 
Ps. 30 : 4. § 48. 3. remarks). — And [if] there is a hereafter ; 
see 23 : 18 above, where the same phrase occurs, and with 
the same meaning, and also 24 : 20. Here, as there, the 
apparent conditionally is not one of doubt, but a case 
supposed, the reality of which is taken for granted ' as 
surely as there is a hereafter.' 



358 Part III-Chap. XXIV. 15—20. 

(15) Lie not in wait, O wicked man, for the dwelling of the right- 
eous ; destroy not his resting-place; (16) For should the righteous 
fall seven times, yet will he rise ; but the wicked shall be made to 
stumble upon evil. 

V. 15. isp'i, lit. his layer, couch, or as in the version. 
V. 16. djj}, Kal Perf., then ivill he rise, with 1 consequential. 
As to seven times, it of course means a good many times. 
The sense here does not point us to moral lapses, but to mis- 
fortunes. Still, it seems to be true of moral lapses also, if 
we may credit the apostle Paul, Phil. 1: 6. Rom, 5 : 5 — 10. 
8: 35—39. 

(17) When thine enemy falleth, rejoice not ; and when he stumbleth, 
let not thy heart exult : (18) Lest Jehovah should see, and it should 
be evil in his eyes ; and he should then turn away his anger from 
him. 

The Kethibh reads enemies, plur. ; the Qeri, with more 
concinnity, enemy, sing. — \y\ , Hiph. Imperf. of W . — Be 
evil in his eyes, i. e, displeasing in his view. — ^ttSril , with 1 
consequential, which is expressed in the version. — Senti- 
ment: '.If evils come upon a man who is your enemy, and 
you feel that he deserves them, do not exult in his suffer- 
ings. If thou displayest such a temper of mind, the Lord 
will rebuke thee by removing the cause of thine exultation, 
i. e. by ceasing to inflict chastisement upon thine enemy.' 
A noble sentiment, and indicative of high moral views on 
the subject of kind feeling toward our fellow-men ! " Love 
your enemies." 

(19) Be not enraged against evil doers ; be not envious in respect 
to the wicked. 

Comp. v. 1 — ^nnrn , apoc. Hith. of rnn . 

(20) For there shall be no hereafter to the evil ; the lamp of the 
wicked shall be quenched. 

That is, there shall be no hereafter of reward, such as is 



Part III— Chap. XXIV. 21—23. 359 



described in v. 14, and in 23 : 18. The question here is not 
about a future existence, but about a future retribution or 
reward. This is a good reason why we should not envy the 
wicked, or be angry with them, since they, in view of their 
doom, are objects of compassion rather than of vengeance. 

(21) My son, fear Jehovah and the King; with revolters do not 
mingle. 

Efbitfl means those who change, viz., their dutiful and loyal 
opinions and feelings, and make revolt. — In SHsntn , the 
first Qamets comes by reason of Dagh. being excluded from 
the 1 ; the second, because the word is in pause. 

(22) For their calamity shall suddenly rise up ; and the destruction 
of them both, who knoweth ? 

Here the idiom is very Hebraistic. Their calamity means 
the calamity which they (God and the king) inflict or send. 
This is made clear by the latter clause : The destruction of 
them both, that is, the destruction which both Jehovah and 
the king will bring on the wicked. — This, who knoweth ? 
i. e. no one can tell when or how it will come — it will come 
suddenly and unexpectedly, for 5*111 = ckns in the first 
clause. 

[Thus end the twenty verses which constitute this fourth portion 
of Part III. of the book. Another addition is still to be made, by 
subjoining some other things which wise men have composed or uttered. 
So the title to the next, and fifth, portion of Part III. informs us. 
This distinguishes the last portion from the other four.] 

(e) Chap. XXIV. 23—34. 

(23) These also are of the wise : Partiality in judgment is 
not good. 

In d^asrii , we have, apparently, the so called b auctoris 
— like *r^hh ^biv . See Introd. § 7. — b^a-nsn , verb Hiph. 



360 Part III— Chap. XXIV. 24—28. 



Inf. from 'nsj , with Tseri shortened because of the Maqqeph, 
lit. to consider persons or faces ; which expression the Hebrews 
used to designate 'partiality. — , without the article 

here, because the sense is generic. — si^-bs might be nia 
or vice versa. But is poetic, and not employed in prose. 

(24) He who saith to the wicked : Thou art righteous ; the people 
shall curse him, nations shall abhor him. (25) But to those who ad- 
monish, there shall be pleasure ; blessings of good shall come upon 
them. 

Ifi?!^ , Imperf. third plur. of , with suff., and a for to . 
— V. 25, blessing of good, i. e. the thanks and kind wishes 
of those who have been benefited by their admonitions ; or 
it may mean an excellent blessing, i. e. a good reward. 

(26) One will kiss the lips of him, who answereth with upright 
words. 

This verse also has a relation to what is said respecting 
the sentence given in judgment, v. 1, seq. When the judge 
speaks upright words, every one is ready, as it were, to salute 
him with affection and respect. 

(27) Prepare thy work without, and get it ready in thy field 5 then 
afterwards thou shalt build thine house. 

•prra , lit. in the without, i. e. abroad in the field. — ititea > 
with the article, because it is here a specific field. — F^?^ > 
with 1 consecutive. Sentiment : 6 Prepare, first of all, for 
your necessary sustenance ; accommodations follow.' — With 
us, in our climate, a house comes early into the list of our 
necessaries ; much less so in Palestine. The proverb : 
" First bread, then family," applies well there. 

(28) Be not a witness against thy neighbor without cause; for wilt 
thou deceive with thy lips ? 

dsn may mean inconsiderately or rashly ; but the version 
gives a more extended sense. — In n^sry, the ft is an in- 



Part III— Chap. XXIV. 20—34. 



361 



terrogative ; which, however, nowhere else has a 1 before it. 
Yet the 1 plainly adds to the significance here, as the version 
shows. The question implies, that the speaker takes it for 
granted, that the witness in question may have honest inten- 
tions, but needs caution as to what he is about to do. Wilt 
thou f — thou shalt not, in such a connection, and after a pre- 
ceding negative. In Greek, xat often adds to the intensity 
of a brief question. So here. 

(29) Say not : As he hath done to me, so will I do to him ; I mil 
reward the man according to his work. 

An admirable principle, and one which comports entirely 
with the Sermon on the Mount. 

(30) I passed over the field of the sluggard, and over the vineyard 
of the man who lacketh understanding ; (31) And behold ! it had all 
of it shot up with nettles : and its surface was covered with thistles ; 
and the stone-wail was broken down. 

A vivid picture of the effects of sloth ! Both corn-field 
and vineyard all overgrown with noxious weeds ! — rfe , lit. 
ascended ; but here as in the version. The field mounted up 
by the growth upon it. — Pual of § 61. 2. n. 4. — 

Nettles and thistles are the secondary Acc. of means ; we 
must supply the prep, with, — ? * em * m Niph., and of 

course its JNoixu ^ is here fern. ; so Ewald, § 174. d. y. 

(32) Then I looked, I considered : I beheld, I received admonition. 
(33) A little more sleep, a little more slumber, a little more folding 
of the hands for sleep ; (34) So shall thy poverty come as a traveller, 
and thy pressing want as an armed man. 

V. 32, I considered, Heb. lit. 1 set my mind upon it. — 
V. 33, STii'ij, lit. of sleeps; and so mi-^Sn, of slumberings* 
To avoid this plural in English, (for it would be bad usage 
here), I have inserted the word more ; as our Eng. version has 
done. The Heb. plurals have an intensive meaning in them- 
selves, indicating a succession of sleep and slumber. — pan , 

31 



362 



Part IV— Chap, XXV. 



a noun, is also of an intensive Piel form. — V. 84, ^htym, 
implies a 3 before it, at least it needs the particle as, in an 
English version. The real shape of the Heb. is thus : So 
shall thy poverty — a traveller — come, etc. But here our 
word traveller hardly does justice to the meaning. A high- 
wayman, seems to be here plainly meant, of which the Heb. 
is very expressive, viz., one tvho goes hither and thither, — 
Then the concinnity with an armed man, (which follows, and 
which lit. is man of the shield), is very plain. Highwaymen 
come suddenly and unexpectedly ; they come to rob and to 
kill, and of course they come armed ; and sloth and slum- 
bering will do the like for the sluggard, by reason of the 
consequences which they bring upon him. The word ^ jbrra 
is a plural of intensity ; and is so translated, viz., pressing 
want. 

Thus ends the fifth and last subdivision of Part III. 
We come next to, 



Part IV. Chaps. XXV— XXIX. 

[Again we have a specific title or introduction to the piece which 
follows; comp. 10:1. As this consists of Solomon's compositions, we 
might expect, that it would accord, as to manner, with Part II. of the 
book, which clearly belongs to him. And such is the case. But the 
discussion of these matters would hardly be appropriate here, and the 
reader is therefore remitted to Introd. § 8. The larger portion of 
what is now before us, has only two members in each gnome ; and 
these are commonly either in contrast, or else they exhibit compari- 
sons of similitude. Commonly, also, each member has eight or else 
seven words ; more rarely six. Even the parallelism is not always 
kept up ; but in general it is somewhat equable. This composition 
has so many traits of resemblance to Part II., as already intimated, 
that they seem enough to persuade an attentive and discerning 
reader, that Parts II. and IV. came originally from the same hand.] 



Part IV— Chap. XXV. 1. 



3 <>3 



Chap. XXV. 1—28. 

(1) These, moreover, are the Proverbs of Solomon; which the 
men of Hezekiah king of Judah collected. 

da , moreover, besides, seems to look back to 10 : 1, seq., 
which has the like title with v. 1 here. — ^SnSiTj > lit. trans- 
ferred. It is hardly to he supposed, that the proverbs which 
follow were already embodied in some little book by itself, 
which came into possession of Hezekiah's friends; for what 
can transferred mean, in such a case ? The probability is, 
then, that these regal cooperators found the following 
gnomes in this collection and in that ; and that they copied 
them out, or transferred, i. e. collected, them into one little 
volume. The Sept., therefore, have well translated by s£e- 
yqa/ipaavro, copied, out. By what indicia they determined 
the question of authorship, we have no information. The 
probability however is, that some title, bearing the author's 
name, was connected with them, whenever they were found ; 
or -tradition, it maybe, had brought down a report of the 
authorship. — By the men of Hezekiah, we are doubtless to 
understand his friends, who were literary courtiers. It 
matters not, whether the service was performed at the 
king's suggestion, or at theirs. It was an important, and 
doubtless a very acceptable, service ; and it is no wonder 
that such an excellent king as Hezekiah, should forward 
such a compilation. 

The fact that there are repetitions of the same proverb in 
Part IV. itself, and a great many repetitions of the proverbs 
in Part II., either exact, or with slight variations, seems to 
be a good voucher for the fact, that Part IV. was made up 
from different sources, which seems to have embodied, here 
and there, portions of Part II. When the transfer was 
made, they were taken as they stood in their original 
sources. One and the same continuous writer, or a mere 



364 Part IV— Chap. XXV. 2—4. 



selector of choice portions, would hardly have introduced 
repetitions so numerous as are found here. His memory 
would have guarded him against them. 

For the critical discussion of the subject, the reader is 

referred to the Introduction, § 8. 

(2) The glory of God is to conceal a matter ; but the glory of kings 
is to search out a matter. 

That " God's ways are unsearchable" is one of his high 
and awful prerogatives. " Verily he is a God who conceal- 
eth himself/' says Is. 45 : 15. This deep mystery serves to 
make a solemn impression, and to silence all impertinent 
inquiry. On the other hand, kings should never proceed 
in a hidden way, but do all by inquiry and counsel, respect- 
ing what they are called to decide. Without searching out 
a matter, in this sense, they can never decide properly. It 
is a king's glory to get all the light he can. 

(3) The heavens for height, and the earth for depth 5 even so is the 
heart of kings — there is no searching it out. 

That is, the heavens are so high, and the earth so deep, 
that we cannot explore them thoroughly. So is it, too, with 
the heart of kings. When- they keep their own secrets, no 
one can venture to draw them out, or no one is able to do it. 

It is one thing for kings to search out a matter before they 
judge of it ; and quite another to keep their own secrets. 
Kings are introduced here, because of the difficulty that lies* 
in the way of probing them. Their rank and their relation 
to the community exempt them from ordinary injury. 

(4) Remove'clross from the silver, and there will come forth for the 

founder a vessel. 

i^Ji is Inf. abs. of injii , No. II., and is used for the Imp 
hortative ; for form, see § 74. n. 2 ; for syntax, § 128. 4. b 
— A vessel, i. e. a silver vessel, which can be shaped as may 



Part IV— Chap. XXV. 5—8. 



365 



be required, the purification having rendered the metal 
malleable and ductile. Of course this is not said for its 
own sake, it being an ordinary and familiar fact, but for the 
sake of what follows, and in such a way, that a comparison 
may be tacitly made. The sequel runs thus : 

(5) Remove the wicked from the presence of the king, and his 
throne shall be established by righteousness. 

That is, remove wicked counsellors and companions from 
the king's presence, and the dross will be taken away. The 
consequences will then be, the establishment of his kingdom 
by justice and equity, since evil advisers are rejected. 

(6) Do not make display of thyself before the king; stand not in 
the place of the great. 

The presence of a king is not an appropriate place for 
one of his humbler subjects to display splendor and pomp, 
which belong only to his courtiers. — Great = nobility or 
courtiers. Meaning : 6 Be not emulous of taking thy place 
among those who are above thee in rank ; ' for this seems to 
be the admonition contained in the verse. 

(7) For it is better for thee, that one should say unto thee : ' Come 
up hither,' than that one should degrade thee in the presence of a 
prince, whom thine eyes behold. 

That is, it is better to be invited to a place of honor, than 
to thrust thyself into it without invitation. For if thou 
doest thus, thou wilt be degraded, i. e. sent down to a lower 
place by. the officer of arrangements, and thus put to shame 
before the very king, to see whom thou hast officiously 
thrust thyself in. Comp. Luke 14 : 8—10. Matt. 23 : 12. 

(8) Go not forth to strive hastily ; lest thou shouldest do something 
in the end thereof, when thy neighbor hath put thee to shame. 

The consequence of entering hastily into strife, is to enter 
into it unprepared, and so the way is open and easy. — 

31* 



366 



Part IV— Chap. XXV. 9, 10. 



There is an emphatic use of the Tvq here, for it indicate? 
something very bad, or something very dangerous. A man 
hasty in strife, or easily provoked, and who readily enters 
into a quarrel, if he gets worsted in any respect, i. e. put to 
shame, becomes so enraged, that he is apt to do some- 
thing desperate, either what is very wicked, or is fraught 
with danger. For the latitude of meaning in Tvq , compare 
Prov. 9 : 13. 2 Sam. 18 : 22. Job 13 : 13. 

My first impression, on reading this verse attentively, 
was, that the tenor of its meaning in the latter part runs 
thus : Lest thou mayest not be able to do anything at the end 
of the strife, ivhen thy neighbor hath worsted thee. In other 
words : £ A hasty contest may end so much to thy disadvan- 
tage, that thou mayest be quite crippled in thy power to 
make any farther resistance.' For this, we must make trq 
= anything, quidquid, and *jls must be taken as a simple 
negative. Neither of these are impossible ; see Lex. f-ra , 
and for comp. Prov. 5 : 6, where seemingly (but not 
really) it is — not. The first view is the more simple 
and certain. The latter would make a good sense, but not 
so true to Hebrew as the other. 

(9) Contend earnestly with thy neighbor ; but still reveal not the 
secret of another. 

Not a command to enter into contention, but the hypo- 
thetical supposition of such a case = Let us suppose that 
thou art even earnestly contending with thy neighbor, still, 
be not so dishonorable as to reveal a secret which he has 
confided to thee, and the disclosure of which might be hurt- 
ful to him. — The word another here means the friend with 
whom one is contending. — ijn , in pause, for , which is 
apoc. Piel Imperf. of r&a. Some good editions exhibit 
; but the other is normal in pause. 

(10) Lest he who heareth should reproach thee; and so thine ill 
fame shall not depart. 



Pakt IV-Chap. XXV. 11. 



367 



That is : 'Do not reveal secrets ; for he who hears the 
revelation will reproach thee for making it ; and ill fame 
will follow thee, yea, even such as will not depart from thee/ 
— a^ttDJj , lit. return, and then, turn away, desistere, recedere. 
Meaning : 6 By the disclosure of secrets, an ill name will be 
given to thee, which will continually cleave to thee.' 

(11) Apples of gold among picture-work of silver, is a word spoken 
in proper season. 

In the first clause, the idea is that of a garment of precious 
stuff, on which is embroidered golden apples among picture- 
work of silver. Costly and precious was such a garment 
held to be ; for besides the ornaments upon it, the material 
itself was of high value. — 'nS'-f , Part, pass. Kal is found 
nowhere, else. — l^ssj , has received many interpreta- 
tions. Kimchi, Schultens, Bertheau, and others, have made 
it the plur. of "Six, wheel, and so construed it as conveying 
the idea of haste, alertness, readiness, because wheels run 
swiftly. It seems to be a conclusive objection against this, 
that ^itt, wheel, has a long immutable Hholem, which is 
nearly always written \ in the sing., and always in the plur., 
whether absolute or const. Besides this, the plur. always 
doubles the radical ) , e. g. to^ssia, showing that the word is 
a Pilel form. A word on its wheels, moreover, at least 
sounds strange to our ears. We must resort to another 
root, which is , prob. = hSS , to turn ; and hence, with 
reference to the revolutions or vicissitudes of time, it comes 
to mean time, i. e. period of revolution. From the Segholate 
*5>s, we here obtain l^as, instead of but this is 

nothing strange, for the shortened plurals here, like the first 
of these two words, are not uncommon ; see § 91. 6. 2, plur. 
abs. and const. Ges. Lehrgeb. s. 575, (which has a fuller 
exhibition of the shortened plural forms). — A word in its 
time, is a word in the time appropriate to it. It seems 
plain, that this last signification is wellgrounded ; for in 



368 Part IV— Chap. XXV. 12—14. 



Arabic, the same word (written means time. The ex- 
igency of the case, and the testimony of the Arabic, seem 
sufficient to guide us in this controverted passage. 

(12) A ring of gold, and an ornament of pure gold, is a wise reprover 
to a hearing ear. 

tots lit. means, a nose-ring, or an ear-ring. The less specific 
sense sounds better to us. — So properly means a necklace 
or collar ; but sometimes it designates an ornament for any 
part of the body. Here, too, the generic sense is preferable. 
— That ' the listening ear is better than the ear adorned with 
gold rings,' seems to be the gist of the proverb. In other 
words : 6 Knowledge is better than ornaments.' 

(13) Like the cold of snow in harvest time, is a faithful messenger 
to those who send him ; for the soul of his masters will he revive. 

, const., from , a word of very peculiar and diverse 
significations. The custom of mixing snow with drinks, during 
the hot season, is here alluded to ; and it is a vivid image of 
refreshment. A faithful messenger refreshes in like manner. 
The two words ^r&b and mhx may both be considered as 
cases of the pluralis eccellentiae, and therefore can be trans- 
lated by the singular. The case supposed, is that of a faithful 
emissary on important business, which he transacts with 
success, to the gratification of his employer. 

(14) Clouds and wind without rain, is he who boasts himself of a 
deceitful gift. 

•pa t^JI. , lit. and yet no rain ; the version gives the sense 
truly. — Boasts himself of an intended gift, and consequently 
of his liberality, and yet the gift is a deception, being never 
actually made. — The comparison is very striking, and the 
sentiment pungent. Clouds and wind sometimes promise 
rain, and do not give it ; so the boasting man promises, and 
perhaps parades, his so-called gifts ; but he does not bestow 
them. 



Paet IV— Chap. XXV. 15—17. 



369 



(15) By delay of anger a prince is persuaded: and a soft tongue 
breaketh the bone. 

When any one restrains his indignation at a wrong done 
him, even a prince, who is very likely to persist in his own 
way, becomes softened, and persuaded to do justice. — A soft 
tongue, is one which speaks mild and gentle language. — 
Breaketh the bone, is a vivid image of the power which soft- 
ness and mildness have in overcoming obstinacy. The bone 
is a hard substance ; but hard as it is, the soft tongue has 
power to break it. Meaning : 6 Forbearance and gentleness 
have great power in subduing self-will and obstinate persist- 
ence in wrong-doingo' 

(16) Hast thou found honey, eat [only] what snmceth thee : lest thou 
become satiated with it, and vomit it up. 

^ , in the sufF. state takes this form ; in the const, it 
is , from "fn . The idea is : ' Eat only so much as will be 
innocent and useful. Beyond this, satiety and loathing follow, 
even to vomiting.' — The two suffixes to the two last verbs refer 
to 'iS? 1 -} , and are in the Acc. As to the first, it is governed 
by the verb of filing, § 135. 3. b. We are obliged to employ, 
in English, a preposition after such verbs, (e. g. with), but 
not so the Hebrews. — ir.kgrj , Hiph. Praet. 2 pers., with 
suff., from aop . The final n of the verb loses its own vowel 
( t ), because it must be joined to the vowel-suffix. Sentiment : 
6 JVe quid nimis. Moderation in luxuries is essential to 
comfort and health.' 

(17) Keep back thy foot from the house of thy friend, lest he should 
become satiated with thee, and hate thee. 

ta i£h= ^pin, lit. make scarce (see Is. 13: 12), from "igj * 
Here again, we have a Ne quid nimis, in another form. 
Sentiment : ' Do not pay too frequent visits to thy neighbor. 
Satiety, and at last disgust, will ensue.' — Here again is the 
Acc. pron. suff., after a verb of filing, as in v. 16. 



370 Part IV— Chap. XXV. 18—20. 



(18) A maul, a sword, and a sharp arrow, is the man who answereth 
against his friend as a false witness. 

That is, such a man is like to those destructive weapons, 
3 , as, being omitted, as often elsewhere. — Answereth, e. g. 
the questions put to him by a magistrate, acting as a judge. 
— *)pti 15 is in apposition with ttjiJK, and is designed to 
characterize or farther describe. 

(19) A broken tooth, and a foot which is a- wry, is confidence in a 
treacherous man, in a season of distress. 

TOh , fern. Inf. as a noun, from ssn , Inf. sn , lit. a tooth of 
breaking. — (in pause), Part. Pual of W . Gesenius, 

and many others, make the word a pres. Part, of TSE , and 
suppose to be a shortened form here of rvi^ia . But 

the Hholem, in such a case, is immutable, and this solution, 
therefore, cannot be accepted. No analogy is even appealed 
to, in defence of this latter opinion. The other solution is an 
obvious one, as to the form; and as to the meaning, see 
Ezek. 21: 21, where the word plainly means turned aside ; 
which in the version I have expressed by a-wry. — In the 
next clause, the Heb. lit. taken, stands thus : confidence of a 
treacherous man, which we express by confidence in him. — 
Meaning : 6 A treacherous man will not only fail you in a 
time of distress, but will annoy you like a broken tooth or a 
sprained foot. 

(20) [As] he that taketh away a garment in a cold day — [as] 
vinegar upon nitre — even so is he that singeth with songs to a sad 
heart. 

The two first clauses are designed as the basis of compar- 
ison ; the last shows that with which they are compared. — 
The second clause, vinegar upon nitre, is a constructio praeg- 
nans, the verb pouring, or some equivalent word, being im- 
plied before . To expose incongruities of action, is the 
object here. 'It would be mal apropos to strip off clothing 
on a cold day ; vinegar and nitre are opposite to each other, 



Part IV-Chap. XXV. 21-24. 371 



and combination spoils them both ; and equally incongruous 
as this, is the making merry to a heart which is saddened. 

(21) If thine enemy hunger, feed him with bread; if he thirst, give 
him water to drink ; (22) Eor coals of fire wilt thou heap on his head, 
and Jehovah will reward thee. 

V. 21, comp. Rom. 12 : 20. Matt. 5 : 43, 44. — Bread . . . 
water, are in the second Ace, i. e. the Acc. of means, — V. 
22, ntih , lit. to take or to gather ; but here it seems to convey 
a sense appropriate to the b$ that follows, as in the version. 
As to the sentiment ; some of the ancients construed the coals 
of fire as indicative of vengeance, destruction. But this is not 
congruous with the sequel : Jehovah will reward thee. Re- 
ward for vengeance, inflicted by man, is surely not a matter 
of promise in the Bible. The meaning then must be, that 
the coals will melt his enmity ; or else, perhaps, that they 
will enkindle his shame. It seems to be as much as to say : 
1 The reception of undeserved kindness must make him blush 
deeply for his enmity ; ' for this is plainly the general senti- 
ment aimed at. The whole two verses are worthy of " Him 
who spake as never man did speak." 

(23) The north wind bringeth forth a shower; and a concealed 
tongue — a rueful countenance. 

It is a matter of fact, that a north-ivest wind, from the 
Mediterranean Sea, brings rain in Palestine. In the language 
of Scripture, this is a north icind, inasmuch as the Hebrews 
have only four cardinal points. — In the second clause, the 
verb iiiflH is implied, where the dash is inserted. — t^ast? , 
Part. !Niph., affected with anger, or with abhorrence or disgust 
— rueful. Meaning : 6 Concealed or private slander excites 
anger and disgust.' 

(24) Better is it to dwell on the pinnacle of a roof, than with a 
brawling woman who is a house-companion. 

See 21: 9, 19, where stands, verbatim, the same proverb. 



372 Part IV— Chap. XXV. 25—27. 



(25) [As] cold water to a weary soul, even so is a goodly report from 
a distant country. 

The si before n^atj, is that of comparison, § 152. B. 3. 
The meaning is, that both of them are quickening and refresh- 
ing. — The report from a distant country, doubtless refers to 
good news from a friend, absent in a foreign country. 

(26) A disturbed fountain and a spoiled well, is a righteous man 
tottering before the wicked. 

iBB^S , lit. trodden with the feet, and so disturbed or roiled. — 
A spoiled well, introa Part. Hoph., is one into which impure 
substances are thrown, which destroy the quality of the water. 
These are disagreeable objects ; and so is it revolting to our 
minds, when we see a good man succumbing to a bad one. 

(27) To eat much honey is not good ; and searching after one's own 
glory is burdensome. 

There is a great variety of sentiment in regard to the ex- 
position of the last clause, ^133 d'ibs . Eng. Version : " To 
search after their own glory is not glory ;" i. e. the liberty of 
supplying is not, is taken in order to avoid an absurd sentiment. 
The verb is, we know well, is implied some twenty times 
where it is inserted once ; but as to supplying is not, unless a 
previous parallelism contains a negative expressed, I know of 
no authority for it, and no grammatical precedent. — Arnoldi, 
Ewald, and others, appeal to the Arabic Tpn , which means 
to despise, and so they render thus : To despise their glory 
[that of men], is glory. The sense is well ; but the resort 
to the Arabic for the meaning of a word so frequent as ^prj 
and its derivates in Hebrew, (it is used some forty times), is 
aside from sound philology. That the second ^1^3 differs in 
meaning here from the first, seems quite plain. I would refer 
the second to the original sense of ^53 , viz., to be weighty, 
grievous, troublesome or burdensome, which last word preserves 
the exact shade of the original ; see in 27 : 3. The examples 



Part IV— Chap. XXYI. 1. 



373 



of this sense are abundant ; see Lex. s. \i No. 4. We have 
then here a paranomasia ; exactly like that of hijiaji in 14: 
24. The search after *ri 33 (in one sense), is "tins (in another 
sense). So the version above. — The only seeming difficulty 
is the suff. in d'jhs . But this I take to be a pronoun indefi- 
nite, and as it were impersonal. If the plur. be insisted on, 
then the implied antecedent is d^Jtf . In impersonal verbs, 
the third sing, and plur. are both used indifferently. So here 
— their glory is the glory of those who make the search 
in question. I have translated in the sing, by one's glory, 
w r hich gives for substance the same sense, and runs smoother 
in English than the plural. — Thus we obtain the sentiment 
in substance, of our English version, without trespassing, as 
that does, upon the integrity of the text. — We see, moreover, 
in this way, the force of the comparison. The first clause 
declares, that we may have too much of a good thing, so that 
it becomes virtually an evil to us. As for the second ; glory, 
i. e. an honorable name, is a good thing ; but to seek after 
this as an object, and with solicitude, becomes a burden. 

(28) A city with breaches — without a wall — is a man who has no 
control over his own spirit. 

ns^Q , lit. broken, cast down, — Without a wall, is an 
epexegetical clause, in apposition with the other, defining 
still more particularly. Such a city is liable to be attacked 
and plundered ; and so the man, who has no control over him- 
self, is always exposed to doing or saying something which 
will be injurious to himself. 

Chap. XXYI. 1—28. 

(1) As snow in summer, and rain in harvest-time, so honor is not 
comely to a fool. 

Snow in summer, and showers in harvest-time, are very 
incongruous with the season, i. e. they are untimely. So is 
it with honor bestowed on a fool. It does not fit him. 
32 



374 Part IV— Chap. XXVI. 2—5. 



(2) As a sparrow in respect to flitting away, as a swallow in regard 
to flight, so a curse without cause will not take effect. 

The sparrow and the swallow are remarkable for rapid 
flight. They not only fly swiftly away, but one cannot make 
them abiding or stationary. So shall the curse, which is 
causelessly uttered, be dissipated. It will not hit the mark, 
will not enter into (a inn the object aimed at ; or, it will 
not arrive, happen, take effect ; for sometimes has this 
meaning. This is much better than the Qeri lb (for Kb), 
which runs thus : will come upon him, viz., on the fool who 
utters it. The comparison is lost by this. 6 The birds swiftly 
vanish ; and so does the causeless curse, i. e. it will not light.' 
I take this to be the gist of the comparison ; and after this 
tenor is the version above. 

(3) A scourge for the horse, a bridle for the ass, and a rod for the 
back of fools. 

That is, a rod is as appropriate for fools, as a whip for the 
horse, or a bridle for the ass. Comp. 10 : 13. 19 : 29. 

(4) Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou be like unto 
him, even thou. ( 5 ) Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be 
wise in his own view. 

Both true or correct, with appropriate limitations. In the 
first case, one is not to answer a fool in a way that accords 
with his folly, i. e. by saying silly things as he does ; for this 
w T ould make one turn fool himself. In the second place, one 
should answer him as his folly deserves, i. e. with reproof, or 
(it may be) with a wise moderation ; for otherwise he will 
indulge the conceit, that he himself is as wise as others. — 
The play of words here, consists in giving to 3 in the two 
cases a meaning somewhat diverse, although both come within 
the range of the particle. The first 3 means in accordance 
with, i. e. after the tenor of; the second, according to the desert 
of, i. e. in such a way as one ought, as a matter of justice, to 



Part IV— Chap. XXVI. 6—8. 



375 



answer folly. There can be no doubt that these seemingly- 
discrepant gnomes are here put together, for the sake of 
point or paronomasia. 

(6) He cutteth off feet, he drinketh in wrong, who sendeth a mes- 
sage by the aid of a fool. 

Gutting off the feet of a messenger, would of course de- 
prive a man of any advantage from his service. He who 
sends a fool, does the like, as to getting any good from his 
service. Nor is this all ; he drinketh in wrong, who sends 
such a messenger, because he will do or say something, 
which will bring mischief upon him who sent him, so that he 
will be the sufferer. 

(7) Take away the legs of a lame man : and so — a proverb which 
is in the mouth of fools. 

rt'n can be made only in the Piel of irb'n ; not = tib** (so 
Ges. in Lex. and others) are weak; for how would this 
meaning suitably compare with the next clause ? The Dagh. 
in b is omitted, because the b is virtually repeated by insert- 
ing the Yodh ; as in French, where in mouiller (moul-ye), 
etc., the second I is pronounced as an i. The legs of the 
lame are useless, is the meaning ; and so they may as well 
be taken away, as it respects any good from them. So a 
proverb in the mouth of fools is useless ; for they know not 
how and when to use it. It is a lame proverb. — ^£2 , which 
is in the mouth, not , from the mouth ; i. e. take away that 
which is in the fool's mouth, and which he is about to utter. 
In other words : ' Lay restraint upon a fool's uttering what 
he has made ready to speak, for it will be useless. 5 

(8) As the binding of a stone in a sling, so is he who giveth honor 
to a fool. 

It would be absurd to hind a stone to a sling, and then 
expect it to do execution. Equally so is it, to bestow honor 
upon a fool, and then expect any good consequence from it. 



376 



Part IV— Chap. XXVI. 9—13. 



(9) As a thorn-bush which is elevated in the hand of a drunkard, 
so is a proverb in the mouth of a fool. 

As a drunken man, who holds a high thorn-bush in his 
hand, will be very apt to injure others or himself; so a fool's 
words will injure himself or others. 

(10) An arrow which woundeth every one, is he who hireth a fool, 
and he who hireth vagrants. 

from , No. 2. Lex., an arroiv. — The man who em- 
ploys fools and vagrants to do his work, and pays them 
wages, will injure himself. Such hiring is like an arrow, 
which, if poisoned, may wound those who handle it, as well 
as those against whom it is sent. In other words, the em- 
ployment of fools and vagrants is very mischievous, in its 
consequences, to him who needs to have work well clone. — ■ 
D hta ai> , passers by, vagrants, or if not these, at least it implies 
persons who are mere passers by, i. e. not well known. 

(11) As a dog returneth to his vomit, a fool will repeat his folly. 

The Heb. shape of the last clause is thus : A fool ivill make 
repetition with his folly, i. e. will repeat his nonsense. — 'lag , 
his vomit, (not the act of vomiting), is the filthy food on which 
the dog feeds, even the sight of which produces loathing and 
abhorrence. The dog eats such a nauseous morsel greedily ; 
and the fool repeats his nonsense in a like manner. 

(12) Secst thou a man wise in his own view, there is more hope for 
a fool than for him. 

Self-conceit and vain-glory are more hopeless (in their 
tendencies) than folly. 

(13) The sluggard saith : There is a lion in the way ; a lion in the 
midst of the broad streets. 

Almost an exact repetition of 22 : 13. Sentiment : 6 Sloth 
invents even the most absurd things, as an apology for in- 
action.' 



Part IV— Chap. XXVI. 14—19. 377 



(14) The door turneth upon its hinge, and so the sluggard upon 
his bed. 

Comp. 6: 10. 24:33. The point of comparison is not 
very obvious at first, and opinions differ. The matter, how- 
ever, seems to be thus : The door is turned upon its hinges 
by others ; it does not turn itself. Even so the sluggard. 
He will not so much as turn himself in bed, but needs others 
to help him. A biting sarcasm indeed ; but there are many 
such, respecting sluggards, in this book ; see the next verse. 
For the Chaldaizing form si&fr, from sn& , see § 66. 5. E. g. 

(15) The sluggard plungeth his hand into the dish ; it is wearisome 
to bring it back to his mouth. 

With slight variations, this verse is the same as 19 : 24. 
q. v. — inaba may be rendered, he is wearied. The sense is 
the same, for substance, as in the version. 

(16) The sluggard is more wise in his own view, than seven men 
who can render a reason. 

That is, he is, in his own view, wise in forging excuses 
for his sloth ; even more wise than those who can give 
intelligent answers. — Seven is of course the perfect number ; 
and here it is merely an indefinite number. — > Part, 

plur. const, in Hiphil. 

(17) [As] one who graspeth hold on a dog's ears, [so] is he who, 
passing along, rusheth into strife which belongeth not to him. 

I have supplied the particles of comparison, which are 
plainly implied, in order to render the passage more explicit. 
He who grasps strongly a dog by the ears, provokes him to 
an attack. Like to this, is intermeddling with a quarrel 
which does not belong to us. 

(18) Like a silly jester, who shooteth forth darts, arrows, and 
death; (19) So is the man who deceiveth his neighbor, and saith: 
Am I not sporting ? 

32* 



378 Part IV— Chap. XXVI. 20—23. 



V. 18, ttbribrva, in Hithpalpel, from ftrfj, verb $3, and 
found only here. The account of the word in Ges. Lex. is 
hardly satisfactory. Bertheau compares it with the Arabic 
Krib, which means to joke ; and in its intensive form (as in 
our text), it means : to be always employed in silly joking. 
This agrees well with the exposition of the meaning, as 
made in the next verse, by the well-known word pty^2 , 
sporting. Madman is a meaning, that seems not capable of 
satisfactory proof. — d^£t comes from pit , and has the 3 
assimilated. But the verb means to cast, to throw far, and 
so the noun comes to mean a dart, (not firebrands, as in our 
Version). — Death, tropically used as here, means deadly 
weapons. — V. 19, the man who deceives, and calls it sport- 
ing, gives deadly wounds, like the weapons before men- 
tioned. 

(20) Where there is no wood, the fire goeth out; and where there 
is no tattler, strife is silent. (21) As charcoal for glowing coals, and 
wood for fire, so is the man of strife for kindling contention. 

V. 20, Strife goes out, without tattling and slander ; even 
as fire goes out, without wood. V. 21, On the other hand, 
a man who loves strife will excite a heated contest ; just as 
charcoal makes glowing coals, and wood makes the fire to 
burn. — "trpn^ , Inf. Pilpal of "nn , to inflame. 

(22) The words of a slanderer are like sportive ones, yet they go 
down into the deep recesses of the belly. 

See on 18:8, where are the same words, which are there 
explained at length. 

(23) Drossy silver spread over an earthen vessel, are burning lips 
and an evil heart. 

That is, metal of little worth is used to cover a mean 
vessel, although it appears splendid like silver. Even so, 
burning lips, (i. e. lips which give warm kisses that seem to 
indicate much affection), if connected with an evil disposi- 



Part IV— Chap. XXVI. 24—28. 



379 



tion, are no better than the splendid dross. — Meaning: 
'Pretension of friendship, where real malice is harbored, is 
utterly worthless.' 

(24) By his lips cloth he who hateth make himself known : and in 
his inner-part doth he lay up deceit. 

Internal hatred will disclose itself by words. When bitter 
feeling is prepared or laid up in the heart ; then it will dis- 
close itself by the lips. 

(25) When he maketh his voice pleasant, trust him not ; for seven 
abominations are in his heart. 

fij.ip h )3rp , utters sweet or lovely tones, — Seven = many. — 
Abominations, things abominable to be done. 

(26) Hatred concealeth deceit; the malice thereof will be revealed 
in the great assembly. 

I do not find the word ll'ateg either in Ges. or in Fuerst's 
Concord. Heb. But there can be no doubt, that it is a 
derivate of airj , to deceive, and so means deceit — in^ , 
with a masc. suff. referring to the masc. noun "jiH&E . — The 
meaning seems to be, that although hatred may conceal 
deceit while it is privately indulged, yet by intercourse with 
men a development of it will be made, so that the malignity 
of the hater will become known. 

(27) He who diggeth a pit, shall fall into it; he who rolleth a 
stone, it shall turn back upon him. 

Comp. Ecc. 10:8. — The last clause runs lit. thus: It 
shall return to him. But the real idea is given in the ver- 
sion. Meaning : £ He who devises mischief to others, it 
shall come upon himself.' — Not perhaps the same identical 
mischief, but at least an equivalent. 

(28) A lying tongue will hate those who are crushed by it; and a 
flattering mouth will bring about ruin. 



380 Part IV— Chap. XXVII. 1-3. 



•ptift is fern., while the verb that follows is masc. ; but as 
a lying tongue here = liar, so there is a concord ac? sensum. 
The case may be solved in another way ; most names of the 
members of the body are employed in both genders.— 
Nothing is more common than to hate those whom we injure. 
— , plur. of ?fi , with suff. masc, for the same reason 
that the verb is masc. — A smooth tongue may be employed, 
while efforts are made, at the same time, in order to over- 
throw or bring to ruin. 

Chap. XXVII. 1—27. 

( 1 ) Boast not thyself of to-morrow, for thou knowest not what a 
day may bring forth. 

Rely not confidently on plans for the future, however well 
they may be concocted; for God only knows what may 
happen. — S^, Qamets because of the smaller Distinctive 
Rebhia. — iV; for ^ , because the accent is thrown back by 
reason of the tone-syllable which immediately follows, § 29. 
3. b. 

(2) Let another praise thee, and not thine own mouth 5 a stranger, 
and not thine own lips. 

*\1 I have rendered another, because stranger must other- 
wise be repeated. Indeed, the actual idea is not that of a 
foreigner, but only of another and different person from 
one's self. — Meaning : 6 Indulge not in self-gratulation and 
applause.' 

(3) A stone is heavy, and sand is weighty; but vexation by a fool 
is more burdensome than both of them. 

Hebrew lit. a stone is heaviness, and sand is weightiness, 
abstr. for concrete. — Vexation of a fool, is the shape of the 
Heb., but the meaning is : ' The vexation which he occa- 
sions.' This idea is expressed in the version. — It would 



Part IV— Chap. XXVII. 4—7. 



381 



seem as if the writer's store of characteristics applicable to 
the description of fools, had been already exhausted ; but 
this is a new development, expressing strongly the disgust 
which a fool's demeanor occasions. This verse throws light 
on "riaa in 25 : 27. 

T 

(4) Cruel is wrath, and anger is overwhelming; who then can 
stand before envy ? 

Heb. cruelty . . . inundation, which I have made concretes 
in the version. — Both wrath and anger are fraught with 
evil, which is hard to be borne ; but much worse still is the 
passion of envy, or (perhaps) jealousy. Either of these 
excites to deeds the most atrocious. 

(5) Open admonition is better than secret love. (6) Eaithful are 
the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are multiplied. 

V. 5, Love, kept entirely secret, profits not the object of 
it. — Admonition shows the better kind of friendship. — 
V. 6, the wounds of a friendly monitor are salutary ; they 
make us see and feel our faults. — The many hisses of an 
enemy, however much of love they may seem to promise, 
are of course deceitful, and the multiplication of them only 
aggravates the wrong. — I see no way to get the meaning 
of deceitful from ryhtjss , root ^7)$ ; compare Ezek. 35 : 13. 
— The point of comparison here, is that of wounds on the 
one hand by a friend, and kisses on the other by a secret 
enemy. A friend, open and ingenuous, admonishes and 
wounds, or reproves for our good; but nothing of this do 
we get from a crafty enemy. Instead of wounding for salu- 
tary purposes, he bestows nothing but kisses often repeated, 
i. e. multiplied. And all this — that he may render his 
victim unsuspicious and unguarded; and so strike the surer 
blow v 

(7) An appetite satiated loathes the honey-comb; but [to] the 
craving appetite — every bitter thing is sweet. 



382 Part IV-Chap. XXVII. 8—10. 

That is : £ The pampered glutton loathes even luxurious 
food ; but he who is really hungry, will eat even indifferent 
food with a high relish.' — I have supplied the prep, to, 
where our idiom demands it. In the Hebrew, the craving 
appetite is Nom. absolute. We might translate thus : as to 
a craving appetite. 

(8) As a bird which hath wandered from her nest, so is the man 
who wandereth from his place. 

His place — his home. Such a wandering bird is restless 
and unsatisfied ; and so is a man, while absent from home, 
specially if he has a good home. 

(9) Oil and perfume exhilarate the heart; so the comity of one's 
friend, which springs from set purpose of the soul. 

Oil here doubtless means scented or perfumed oil. — pn^a , 
sweetness, applies either to words or demeanor, or it may 
include both == comity. — The suff. in iiiisn is altogether 
indefinite, having no antecedent, and therefore I have ren- 
dered the word one's friend. — Which springs from the set 
purpose of the soul,\\L is from the counsel of the soul; but 
the literal version hardly makes an intelligible sense, and 
therefore I have translated ad sensum. The word n^s> may 
imply set purpose, for the root has the meaning to decree. 
Comity makes glad when it proceeds from the real design 
and intention of him who manifests it, or when it is what 
his soul counsels him to exhibit, and not mere conventional 
politeness. We say : " When it comes from the bottom of 
the heart," when we mean to convey such an idea as the 
Hebrew here comprises. 

(10) Thine, own friend, and thy father's friend, forsake not; into 
the house of thy brother enter not, in the day of thy calamity ; better 
is one that dwelleth near, than a brother afar off. 

That is : Go to well and long-tried friends in the day of 
calamity ; for " there is a friend, that sticketh closer than a 



Part IV— Chap. XXVII. 11—14. 383 



brother Prov. 18 : 24. The last clause in our text, makes 
all plain. Sentiment : 6 Only long-tried friends are to be 
trusted, above all in a calamitous time. Even the ties of 
consanguinity are not always to be relied on.' — Sn*»;a may be 
an Acc. of place ; or we may consider Kinn here as a kind 
of transitive verb, § 135. 3. d ; as in fact it sometimes is by 
usage. 

(11) Be wise, my son, and gladden my heart: that I may have 
somewhat to answer him who reproacheth me. 

This may be interpreted in two ways : (1) If a child is 
wise, through the instruction and example of a father, this 
gives good testimony against any slanderer of the father's char- 
acter. (2) If the son is actually wise, then he may aid and 
-counsel his father, and defend him against unjust reproaches. 
Bertheau prefers the latter ; the former strikes me as more 
obvious and natural. — 'nn^r , thing (as often) ; and here it 
means something, or = our English somewhat 

(12) The wary seeth the evil — he hideth himself ; the simple pass 
on — they are punished. 

*\Wos (in pause), in a reflexive sense, § 50. 2. a. In both 
clauses, the second verb is asyndic, i. e. 1 is wanting. 1 
have made the dashes to perform a part in imitating the 
Hebrew mode of expression. In our idiom, we should say : 
' The wary man, seeing the evil, hideth himself ; the simple, 
passing on, are punished.' But the Hebrews seldom employ 
participles, in such a case. They prefer the verb; and 
doubtless their mode of construction has more life and 
energy. In 22 : 3, we have the same text, with 1 inserted 
in each clause. 

(13) Take his garment, when he hath become surety for a stranger; 
and on account of a strange woman, do thou distrain him. 

See 20 : 16, where are the same words, fully explained. 

(14) He who blcsseth his friend with a loud voice, early in the 
morning, it shall be counted to him as a curse. 



384 



Part IV— Chap. XXVII. 15. 



iiia , great, when applied to voice, of course means loud. 
— d^3©Si 3 Inf. Hiph. as a noun or adverb, in apposition 
with , and the Acc. of time ; compare Hai-iln , as an 
adverb. The reason why it will be counted as a curse, 
rather than a blessing (which it would seem to be), is, that 
such unusual or extraordinary developments of gratuitous 
zeal, of course excite suspicion of fraudulent design. They 
are not natural, but assumed. 

(15) A continual dropping in a rainy day, and a brawling woman, 
are much alike. 

For the first clause, see 19 : 3. — "W?? occurs in Hebrew 
only here, but it occurs in the Syriac and Chaldee, in the 
sense here given to it. The root hAto (in Arabic) means : 
to Jill with ivater. — itJSjttja > a difficult word as to its form ; 
at least we must think so, if we look at the criticisms upon 
it. Yet the solution is attended, as I apprehend the matter, 
with but little difficulty, in case we allow (with Ewald, 
§ 132. c), that the Hebrews had a Nithpael conjugation. 
Examples of this are ^BSa == na, Deut. 21 : 8 ; n&na = na, 
Ezek. 23 : 48 ; also the word now before us. This word 
seems then to be a fern. Part, of Nithpael, root riw , masc. 
Part. iiilQiaa , fern. *Tj- , referring to woman, its nearest ante- 
cedent. — The t: of the root is transposed, as usual, in 
Hithpael. The only trouble here is, that we should expect 
STawaa instead of iiim . — But is not the Da^h. here resolved 

t - : • T T o 

into the long .vowel, Qamets, and so the reduplication 
omitted ? See § 20. 3. a. b. See also mhz , ©3^B , and comp. 
§ 20. 3. c. Note. Bertheau does not here recognize the 
participial form in question, and so he has made it in the 
Imperf. first pers. plur. voluntative ; in other words, accord- 
ing to him, it should be hjrj^a , i. e. accented on the penult, 
and it has a paragogic tt_ , which may reject the accent from 
the ultimate. (But only a portion of the copies so accent 
it.) He confesses that the meaning thus brought out, is 



Part IV— Chap. XXVII. 16, 17. 385 



strange, viz., let us compare. Truly it is so, for there is no 
analogon in the whole book. Moreover, it seems to be 
unnecessary. Compare Ewald, § 132. c. 

(16) He who restraineth her, restraineth the wind 5 and his right 
hand cometh upon oil. 

The wind or air is incapable of such restraint by any 
ordinary means, as will prevent its escape ; and like to this 
is the brawling woman, who cannot be restrained. — Right 
hand cometh upon oil, is explained by considering, that oil 
makes a thing so slippery that it cannot be held fast in one's 
grasp. So she cannot be held fast or restrained. — 
see the root No. II., occurrit, obviam venit, meets with. 
That is: 'A brawling woman is incapable of being tamed.' 

(17) Iron may sharpen iron : and so a man may sharpen the coun- 
tenance of his friend. 

irp (Qamets in pause) is Hiph. Imperf. apoc. of fTin == v 
Tin . Ges. makes it from the verb $3 , but with much diffi- 

- T 

culty. Much better is it, with C. B. Michaelis, Bertheau, 
and others, to suppose a root n^n. For irn, Imperf., 
abridged, see § 74. IV. note 14. — We can easily understand 
how a knife can be sharpened by a steel ; but what means 
the other clause ? To sharpen the countenance, is hardly sus- 
ceptible of any other meaning than that of making the visage 
look stem or severe, i. e. to be angry. We say of a frown- 
ing man : i He looked sharp at his enemy.' But then comes 
the question : Why should one man provoke another ? — 
This, however, is not the real meaning. It is not a command 
to excite or provoke, but a supposed case ; and when this 
occurs, then let. a man enter the list of controversy (if he 
must do so) with a man like himself, and not with a child, 
or an inferior ; see Judg. 8:21. In other words : 6 If men 
must enter into contest, let the antagonists be worthy of the 
strife.' Or it may be taken passively ; Viz., let not a man be 

33 



386 



Part IV— Chap. XXVII. 18—21. 



angry at the mischief done him by a child, and not by a man, 
Should he so do, then he would act childishly. So Bertheau. 
I prefer the preceding exegesis ; but the verse is somewhat 
obscure. 

(IS) He who keepeth the fig-tree, shall eat the fruit thereof ; he who 
guardeth his master shall be honored. 

That is, the master will reward the keeping or guarding, 
by suitable retribution ; just as the hg-tree feeds him who 
keeps it, and thus makes him a retribution for his labor. 

(19) As in water face answereth to face, so doth the heart of man 

to man. 

0^3 , art. before the name of a substance ; the Acc. of 
place = in water, and designating the where. — Face to face, 
i. e. water reflects back the image of the face. — The heart of 
man is reflected back (so to speak) by the heart of another 
man ; i. e. each has corresponding views and sympathies, so 
that one can reason from his own heart to that of others, at 
least in many respects ; for the properties of human nature 
are common. 

(20) The under- world and destruction are never satisfied; and so 
the eyes of man are never satisfied. 

The grave swallows up all, and yet remains ever unsatis- 
fied, for it is always craving more ; and so the eye is never 
satiated with seeing. — The Qeri frnaij is the more usual 
form; but this may be abridged, as in the Kethibh rtana, 
the n being merely a fulcrum. 

(21 ) A fining-pot for silver, and a furnace for gold ; so is a man in 
respect to his praise. 

A fining-pot will disclose the true silver, and the furnace 
the true gold ; and so a man's praise will disclose his true 
character. Praise is apt to puff up men, and make them 
eelf -conceited. If it does, or does not, produce this effect, it 



Part IV— Chap. XXVII. 22—25. 



will, in either alternative, make their true character known. 
" It is a fining-pot." 

(22) If thou shouldest beat a fool in a mortar, in the midst of 
crushed grain, with a pestle, his foolishness will not depart from him. 

Another of those stringent sarcasms with which fools are 
assailed, in this book above all others in the Bible. — Sen- 
timent : 'No chastisement, however severe, will cure a fool 
of his folly.' Such is the obstinacy of the men, who are 
here characterized by the appellation of fools. 

(23) Look well to thy flock 5 attend carefully to thy herds : (24) 
Eor abundance will not be perpetual ; not even a diadem [will be] 
for generation after generation. 

Precepts economical, addressed to husbandmen. — , 
not unfrequently, as here, means to take knowledge of in the 
sense of caring for, looking to. The Inf. abs. here, joined 
with the definite mode, gives intensity to the expression. 
Hence the version, look well. — r™ , means to fix one's 
mind or attention on a thing. — Take good care of your prop- 
erty, for although there now is an abundance of wealth, it 
will not last always, not even a diadem, L e. regal domain or 
authority, will be permanent. — is a strong negative, 
when it follows fc& in a preceding clause ; see Lex. s. v. C. c. 
— After diadem, the verb of existence or continuance is 
plainly implied, as inserted in the version. In plain words ; 
6 Not even regal wealth is secure and lasting.' 

(25) The grass passeth away, the tender herbage showeth itself, 
and the herbs of the mountains are gathered. 

ilia sometimes designates going aivay into exile ; here, it 
denotes the passing away of the grass from its location, when 
the time to harvest it is come. Then spring up the tender 
shoots from its roots, supplying pasture. Fodder, 

moreover, is laid up in stock, which comes from the moun- 
tain-bushes and grass, hiates . Such is the provision to be 
made for flocks and herds. Then follows their thrift. 



888 



Part IV— Chap. XXVIII. 1, 2. 



(26) Lambs are for thy clothing, and the price of a field is bucks. 

That is, lambs j when sold, purchase thy clothing ; and 
hicks will fetch a sufficient price to purchase land. Bucks 
are the males of either sheep or goats ; so the German : 
Bocken. In this way, permanent property may be acquired, 

(27) Moreover, there will be a sufficiency of goat's milk for thy 
nourishment, for the nourishment of thy household, and means of 
living for thy maidens. 

D^in, lit. life j here, means of life or of living. In other 
words : £ If you look well to your farm, it will yield whatever 
you may want for food, or clothing, or even for the purchase 
of more land. It will, in a word, make you truly rich/ 

Chap. XXVIIL 1—28. 

(1) The wicked flee, when no one pursueth ; but the righteous are 
hold as a lion. 

to3 , plur. of M , because the Nom. S> vh (sing.) is generic. 
— Are hold, lit. are confident ; but here the verb n&y\ is sing. 
with a Nom. in the plural — a case, therefore, of specializing 
or individualizing, where the idea is, that each one of the 
collective (plur.) body is, or does, so and so, § 143. 4. Comp. 
Gen. 49 : 9, as to the simile. — Meaning : 6 The wicked are 
full of fears ; while the righteous repose in quiet safety, not 
being apprehensive of any danger.' 

(2) Because of the transgression of a land, many are its princes; 
but because of a man of understanding, he who regardeth what is right 
shall prolong [his days]. 

When a 'nation transgresses, Gocl gives them up to the 
conquest of invaders, and to a partition of territory, or to 
internal factions which divide and distract the country. — - 
The last clause is difficult. Berth. : " So soon as men [the 
people] become intelligent and knowing, then he [the prince] 



Part IV— Chap. XXVIII. 3—5. 



389 



lives long," i. e. the one and only prince of the country reigns 
long and undisturbed. — I doubt this exegesis. It is plain 
that SttSBSi and "pM tfj?? are two opposites, which are con- 
trasted ; the one leads to division and partition, and conse- 
quently to uncertainty of life and happiness ; the other 
governs the country in such a way, that all who know and 
practise what is right, have a prolonged season of quiet under 
him. — ",3 I take to be a noun-adjective here; and 5^1 as 
designating another person (i. e. a citizen or subject) than 
the intelligent man, who seems plainly to be the ruler. The 
two clauses are partially, but not fully and directly, antithetic. 
Many princes occasion a state of things, where all is unsafe. 
But a sole and intelligent ruler will prolong the life and safety 
of those who cleave to rectitude. — Tp"^ , prolong = live long, 
for days are implied after it, which are elsewhere expressed. 
See Lex. under Hiphil, and Prov. 29 : 16. 

(3) A poor man, and yet an oppressor of the poor, is a shower 
sweeping so that there is no bread. 

Probably an indigent ruler of a subordinate class is here 
meant, who oppresses the poor in order to enrich himself; a 
thing very common in the East and also the West. But he 
can no more become rich by such means, than a violent 
shower, which sweeps away the surface of the ground, can 
bring forward prosperously a crop of grain which has been 
sown. In other words : ' Overdoing, in both cases, prevents 
a crop from being gathered.' 

(4) Those who forsake the law, praise the wicked; but they who 
keep the law, rouse up themselves against them. 

The word "Sr&\ is used generically here. Hence the plur. 
suff. in E2. Meaning : 6 The impious eulogize the wicked ; 
the pious oppose them/ 

(5) Evil men do not understand justice ; but those who seek Jehovah 
understand everything. 

33* 



890 Pakt IV— Chap. XXVIII. 6— 10. 



Do not understand, i. e. have no adequate and proper sense 
of it. — Understand everything, viz., everything that relates 
to right and duty. 

(6) Better is the poor man, who walketh in his integrity, than he 
who is perverse by double dealing, although he is rich. 

t^yy? , dual, tivo ways, because such a man now pursues 
this course, and then that, in order that he may deceive. The 
version gives the sense aimed at, although not literal. — &w?Ti , 
and yet he is, here = although he is. Sentiment : 6 An upright 
poor man, is better than a perverse rich one.' 

(7) He thatkeepeth the law, is a discreet son : but he who delighteth 
in prodigals, will bring his father to shame. 

fian , delighteth in = n^n , Lex. s. v. No. 3. He will behave 
in such a manner as to put his father to shame. 

(8) He who augruenteth his wealth by usurious increase, he shall 
gather it for giving alms to the poor. 

The two words •qttjs and ST^Sn are both applied to the 
interest of money. United, as here, they are either intensive 
= excessive interest, or else a Hendiadys in which one acts 
the part of an adjective, as in the version. — Gather it, viz., 
his wealth. — l^ni, lit for compassionating, i. e. in the way 
of administering to their wants. The usurer meant not so, 
in amassing his property ; but Providence orders things in 
such a manner, that this wealth will come into the hands of 
some liberal and compassionate person, who, by means of it, 
relieves the wants of the poor. 

(9) He who turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his 
prayer shall be an abomination. 

The impious cannot be sincere in their prayers ; and 
consequently, they are rejected because they are hypocritical. 

(10) He who leadeth astray the upright in an evil way, into his own 
pit shall he fall ; but the upright shall inherit good. 



Part IV— Chap. XXVIII. 11—15. 391 



That is, he who leads the good astray, in order to do them 
mischief, shall himself fall into mischief. Instead of perish- 
ing in the pit which was dug for them, the upright shall 
become possessors of good. 

(11) A rich man is wise in his own view; but the poor man, pos- 
sessed of understanding, will search him out. 

A conceited wise man is easily understood by an intelligent 
poor man, and easily exposed. His riches will not save him 
from such disgrace. 

(12) When the righteous rejoice, great is the glorying: but when 
the wicked rise up, a man hideth himself. 

ft^JStSfi , (in pause), not only glory, but glorying, — tosri^ , 
lit. is made to he sought after, that is, he withdraws himself 
so that one cannot easily find him = hideth himself. So Ges. 
in Lex. 

(13) He who covereth his sins, shall not prosper; but he who eon- 
fesseth and forsaketh [them], shall find mercy. 

See a striking exposition of this, in Ps. xxxii. Conceal- 
ment of sin exempts not men from punishment by a Being 
who knows all things ; confession and repentance are indis- 
pensable to the obtaining of mercy. — crn^ , (Qamets in 
pause), in Pual, shall be the subject of mercy. 

(14) Blessed is the man who feareth always ; but he who hardeneth 
his heart shall fall into evil. 

Feareth, viz., to offend God. — Hardeneth his heart, means : 
' Renders it insensible to admonition or reproof.' 

(15) A roaring lion, and a ranging bear, is a wicked ruler over a 
poor people. 

i That is, by his rapacity he crushes and devours them, even 
as those wild beasts do their prey. 



392 Part IV— Chap. XXVIXL 16—20. 

(16) As to a prince who lacketli understanding, and multiplieth 
oppression — he who hateth covetousness shall prolong his days. 

In other words : 'As to a foolish and greedy oppressor — 
I have only to say, that the man of an opposite character 
shall obtain the blessing of long life.' Of coarse, he (the 
oppressor) cannot obtain it. — The Kethibh reads : i&sto , 
const, plur. ; the Qeri, Witt , in the sing, const. The latter is 
rather preferable, because the verb which follows is singular. 

(17) A man oppressed with life's blood, let him flee to the pit, let 
no man stay him. 

Murder demands suitable retribution. No one should 
■ interfere to prevent it. The precept is older than Solomon, 
or even Moses ; see Gen. 9:6. In the older editions, tfitf 

T T 

is, by Rabbinic conceit, printed thus : d j;* , i. e. with a minute 

1. See Mich. Bib. 

(18) He who walketh uprightly shall be safe; but he who is perverse 
in double ways, shall fall in one [of them]. 

Integrity is safety ; double-dealing will end in a fall. — 
nnM in pause, in one, fern., as (to which it refers) occa- 
sionally is. The Seghol (instead of Pattah) in nns , comes 
by reason of the Qamets after it under a Guttural, § 27. n. 

2. b ; the Qamets (for _ ) because of the pause. 

(19) He who tilleth his field, shall be satisfied with bread; and he 
who followeth after vain persons, shall have plenty of poverty. 

Industry makes adequate provision for our wants ; but an 
idle and profligate man will suffer much from want. 

(20) A man of great faithfulness is rich in blessings; but he who 
hasteneth to become rich, shall not be innocent. 

ntoa , plur. intens., and so translated. — an, an adjective 
here, as the Maqqeph indicates, == abundant, rich, — Hasten- 
eth to become rich, that is, by fraud, or violence, or oppression, 



Part IY— Chap. XXVIII. 21—24. 



393 



instead of faithful and steady industry. Cupidity always 
tempts to fraud or oppression. 

(21) To respect persons is not good ; for because of a piece of bread 
a man will become a transgressor. 

D^a^Sli , lit. to know in the sense of favoring ; root ^ 9 
and it is here in the Inf. Hiph. ^isrr , with the Tseri shortened 
because of the Maqqeph. By this phrase, (as we have seen 
above. 24 : 23, q. v.), is meant to show partiality for. — Be- 
cause of a piece of bread, (spoken ironically, and it means as 
much as to say, for an insignificant bribe), a man will show 
partiality in judging. That (partiality) cannot be good., i. e, 
it must be very evil, when even a small bribe will purchase 
it, and thus occasion much mischief. 

(22) A man of an evil eye hasteth for wealth ; and he knoweth not 
that want shall come upon him. 

The man of an evil eye, is the envious and covetous man, 
— biiiii , Part. Niph., lit. is urgent or hastening. In Piel this 
sense is more clearly developed ; but we find it also in Niph. 
No. 3, in the Lex. — "jinb, with the art., either because it is 
abstract, or else because it is the specific name of a thing. 

(23) A man who reproveth shall afterwards find favor, more than 
he who flattereth with his tongue. 

^^n^==^n^ ? an adverb. Ges. thus: "after me, I e. fol- 
lowing my precepts for he regards it as the plur. with suffl 
"1— , my. To say the least, this is a doubtful solution — cer- 
tainly a very unusual one, in Hebrew. Sentiment : 4 Those 
who are reformed by admonition, will afterwards feel grateful 
to their monitor.' 

(24) He who robbeth his father and his mother, and saith : No harm ! 
he is a companion to a destroyer. 

No harm ! because, forsooth, the property is going to be 
his own, ere long. — Such a man is to be ranked with destroyers 



394 Part IV— Chap. XXVIII. 25—28. 



or wasters, i. e. with men who desperately do every kind of 
violence and wrong. Compare Matt. 15 : 4 — 6, which is 
quite analogous. 

(25) He who is of a haughty spirit will stir up strife 5 but he who 
trusteth in Jehovah shall have an abundance. 

srn , lit. ample, expanded. The imagery is borrowed from 
inflation; just as we say, puffed up, in a tropical way. 
Hence haughty. — y&T. •> Pual, lit. shall be made fat. 

(26) Whosoever trusteth in his own heart, he is a fool ; but who- 
ever walketh wisely, he shall be delivered. 

The awn , in both cases, makes intensity of specification. 
— Be delivered, viz., from the evils which self-confidence 
occasions. — Walketh wisely, here seems to mean as much as 
puts his trust in God, and not in himself ; for this is true 
wisdom. 

(27) As to him who give th to the poor — there shall be no lack; 
but as to him who hideth his eyes — there will be plenty of curses. 

The version discloses the form of the original, as to the 
Nom. independent. — The liberal giver shall not come to 
want, because God will bless him. — Hideth his eyes, viz., 
from noticing the wants of the poor. — n^, with a Maqqeph 
following, shows itself to be an adj. here. But an adj., taken 
as neuter, makes the abstract noun, as in the version. * 

(28) When the wicked rise up a man hideth himself, and when 
they perish the righteous increase. 

tr^oajs, Inf. Kal. with suff. — The wicked, by their op- 
pression and violence, strike such terror into the good, as to 
make them withdraw, in order to seek a place of refuge. 
When such oppressors are removed, then the righteous are 
multiplied. 



Part IV— Chap. XXIX. 1—5. 395 



Chap. XXIX. 1—27. 

(1) A man who is often reproved and hardeneth his neck, shall be 
suddenly destroyed, and there shall be no remedy. 

nirtoift, develops strikingly the plur. intens. The mean- 
ing is not that of a man who has been only once reproved, 
but plainly that of a man often reproved, i. e. one to whom 
many reproofs have been directed.- — Hardening his neck, 
means pertinaciously going on in his evil ways. His neck 
does not feel the yoke of reproof to be galling ; for it is so 
hard that he heeds not the yoke. — is intense = shall 
he shivered in pieces. 

(2) When the righteous increase, the people rejoice; but when the 
wicked bear rule, the people bemoan themselves. 

The righteous are a blessing to any community, and the 
people have reason to rejoice in their increase : but the 
domination of the wicked will make them grieve, ns&o , 
Niph. Imperf. reflexive, bemoan themselves. 

(3) The man who loveth wisdom, shall make his father glad ; but 
he who hath pleasure in harlots, will waste wealth. 

iisn , Part, of ftsn = , see in Lex. It is so far transi- 

7 T T T T ' 

tive as to put the object of pleasure in the Acc. after it. — * 
Waste wealth, viz., his father's wealth, and so make the latter 
sorrowful, instead of making him glad. 

(4) A king by justice will establish the land ; but a man of presents 
will destroy it. 

Man of presents, is one who loves them and gladly accepts 
them, as bribes for partiality. Such a ruler will ruin his 
country. — The last verb, with suff. n|_ . 

(5) A man who speaketh smoothly against his neighbor, spreadeth 
a net over his steps. 



396 



Part IV-Chap. XXIX. 6—9. 



That the smooth speaking, in this case, is in malam partem, 
is made clear by , against The basis of the idea is that 
of smoothing (piti) a thing by rubbing it against another. — 
A net over, etc., means a net so spread, as to entangle him 
and arrest his steps, or make him fall. 

(6) In the transgression of a bad man there is a snare; but the 
righteous shall sing and be glad. 

By transgressing, a man brings on himself a snare, in 
which he may be caught and made to stumble ; but the 
righteous shall go on and prosper, and so they shall sing 
aloud for joy. Not that they rejoice because the wicked 
are ensnared, but because God gives them safety and pros- 
perity. — )^ (from )^) is an uncommon form ; but there is 
a number of such in the Hebrew Bible ; see § 66. n. 9. 

( 7 ) The righteous taketh knowledge of the cause of the poor ; the 
wicked will not understand knowledge. 

The righteous design to aid the poor, by taking cogni- 
zance of their cause, when they claim their just dues ; the 
wicked will never take proper pains to gain a knowledge 
of it. 

(8) Men of scorn blow up a flame in the city : but the wise cause 
anger to abate. 

sitT*aj , from n^3, to blow, puff, to blow up, e. g. a fire, that 
is, to enkindle it. Hence the tropical meaning, to inflame, 
i. e. to blow upon or enkindle the passions or prejudices of a 
city, for the sake of leading the people to rash proceedings. 
— to'iiBj , cause to return, to turn back, and consequently it is 
equivalent to abating. 

(9) Doth a wise man contend in a cause with a fool ? He will be 
angry, and will laugh, but there is no pacification. 

That is, he will at one time be agitated with rage, at 
another with scornful laughter ; a quiet and considerate 
state of mind he will not come to. 



Part IV— Chap. XXIX. 10—14. 



397 



(10) Men of blood will hate the man of integrity; but the upright 
will seek anxiously for his life. 

W5j??i , Piel, with Dagh. in p omitted, because this would 
require a movable Sheva, § 20. 3. b. It is a very common 
method of abridging words. Lit. seek his life ; which usually 
means : seek it in order to take it away. Here, in bonarn 
partem, in order to preserve it ; but to avoid the equivoque, 
I have slightly changed the manner of expression, while the 
sense is retained. 

(11) A fool will pour out all his indignation ; but a wise man will 
afterwards try to appease it. 

frW , as in our English phrase : " He showed much 
spirit." The wise man will deal gently with such an one, 
and try to soften and appease him. The Piel form of the 
last verb gives room for the version, try to appease ; for to 
appease is the primary sense of ror . 

(12) Doth a ruler listen to a false report? — all his servants are 
wicked. 

That is, if the ruler loves to deal in slander and falsehood 
— then all his underlings will learn to imitate him in his 
vices, and thus become wicked. 

(13) The poor and the man of exactions meet together; the eyes 
of them both Jehovah enlighteneth. 

Meet together in a hostile way, or in conflict, seems to be 
the idea. The hardly exacting man is resisted by the 
oppressed poor man. — Jehovah has given to both the light 
of life, here designated by enlightening the eyes, i. e. making 
them to sparkle with living powder. Of course, both are 
equally dependent on him, and both under his supervision ; 
and therefore the one can have no right to bear hard on 
the other, and the oppressed may hope for vindication. 

(14) As to the king who judgeth the poor with faithfulness — his 
throne shall be established forever. 

34 



398 



Part IV— Chap. XXIX. 15—19. 



A faithful discharge of duties toward the poor and op- 
pressed, will result in the firm establishment of a throne. 

(15) The rod and reproof will give wisdom; and the lad who is 
freed [from them], will cause shame to his mother. 

Compare 23 : 13, and also 13 : 24, where the same senti- 
ment is found, with some little variation of phraseology. 

(16) When the wicked increase, transgression increaseth; but the 
righteous shall look on when they fall. 

Be the wicked ever so flourishing, to appearance, yet the 
time of their fall will come, which the good will witness. — 
a iifct^ has usually the meaning of looking on anything with 
satisfaction. But we should not associate with this the idea, 
that the good have any delight in the plagues of the wicked, 
in themselves considered, but that they rejoice because the 
time of their deliverance has come. Comp. Rev. 11: 17, 18. 
18: 20. 

(17) Chasten thy son, and he shall give thee rest; yea, he shall 
give delight to thy soul. 

"-i&^jPiel, Pattah in the ultimate, because of the "t. — 
dW?» , of an intensive form and meaning ; which is ex- 
pressed in the version. 

(18) Where there is no vision, the people become dissolute ; but he 
who keepeth the law — blessed is he ! 

Vision means here prophetic vision or revelation. — Dis- 
solute, i. e. loosed from restraint in a moral sense ; compare 
Ex. 32 : 25, which fully confirms this sense of SPIES'] . In 
such a case, when deprived of prophetic teachers, the only 
recourse is to the Law ; the which, if a man will diligently 
attend to it, will render him happy. 

(19) By words a servant will not be corrected ; although he under- 
stands, yet will he not make answer. 

Something more than mere words must be employed, to 



Part IV— Chap. XXIX. 20-22. 



399 



secure the ready obedience of some servants. The words 
they may understand ; but they will regard them as mere 
words and nothing more, unless some more effectual cor- 
rective be applied. — The answering does not here mean a 
reply only in words, but also in doing the things which are 
correspondent with the commands given, i. e. making a 
practical answer. 

(20) Seest thou a man hasty in his words, there is more hope for a 
fool than for him. 

See the proverb in 26 : 12. It seems to be the same gnome 
in all, but still it was a little modified when it was inserted 
in the different sources of selection, which "the men of 
Hezekiah" had before them. 

(21) As to him who bringeth up delicately his servant from child- 
hood, at last he will surety be a son. 

p|M , not elsewhere in Hebrew, but frequent in Aramaean, 
in the sense here given by the version. — , the abstract 
form, i. e. childhood ; means lad. — irwtix , lit. in the 
end, or sequel of it ; for I take i here as relating generally 
to the whole affair. It is the Acc. of time. If the pronoun 
suff. must be made more definite, then it must relate to 
servant, and mean the after-part of his life. The sense is 
virtually the same in both cases. — *fivo , is unique, being 
found nowhere else in the Bible. It is probably made 
from "ps, offspring, by prefixing a formative ». So the 
Rabbins ; and the sense is good. The ancient versions 
seem to have read a different w 7 ord here. The Vulgate 
only approaches our text. This renders ytt by contuma- 
cem ; and so Ewald, and others, who compare the Arabic 
*pro, which means ungrateful. The sense of this is not bad ; 
but the other meaning given above, has more point. 

(22) An angry man will stir up strife ; and a man enraged abounds 
in transgression. 



400 Part IV— Chap. XXIX. 23—27. 

irari means an irascible man, one who easily and 
often becomes enraged. — Anger, of course, prompts to do 
wrong. 

(23) The haughtiness of a man will bring him low; but humble- 
ness of spirit will obtain honor. 

Compare 25 : 6, seq. 16 : 19. For Tpn 1 !, compare 11: 16. 
Lit. this means to grasp, to lay fast hold of. 

(24) He who maketh a division with a thief, hateth his own life j 
he heareth the curse, and yet will not reveal. 

Hateth Ms own life, see remarks on 8 : 36, respecting such 
meiosis. He acts as though he hated it, by thus wickedly 
exposing it to danger. — The curse, namely, that which is 
pronounced on him who concealeth a theft ; see Lev. 5:1, 
and comp. Judges 17:2. — But although he is brought 
under this curse, in case of concealment, still he will not 
reveal the thief, with whom he has become a partaker. 

(25) The fear of man will lay a snare : but he who trust eth in 
Jehovah shall be protected. 

Men will through fear do that which they disapprove ; 
and so they are ensnared. — Trusteth in Jehovah, viz., trusts 
that he will protect those who do right, and fears not the 
consequences. — Be protected, lit. be elevated to a high place, 
and therefore safe from attack. 

(26) Many seek the face of a ruler; but from Jehovah cometh the 
right of a man. 

Many repair to rulers, in order to obtain their favor by 
flattery ; but it is God only who will and can do perfect 
justice to all. That is : 6 Look more to heaven, and less to 
rulers.' 

(27) An abomination of the righteous, is the man of mischief; but 
the abomination of the wicked, is he who is upright in his way. 

The righteous abhor wrong-doers ; but the wicked abhor 
the upright. 



Part V— Chap. XXX. 1. 



401 



Part V. Chap. XXX. 1—33. 

(1) The words op Agur, the son of her mho icas obeyed in Massd. 
Thus spake the man : I have toiled for God, I have toiled for God, 
and have ceased. 

So far as I know, Hitzig (in Zeller, Theol. in Jahrb. 1844, 
s. 283) was the first to propose this new modification of the 
verse before us. It is adopted and finely commented on, in 
Bertheau. — There can be no doubt, that , bswab , and 
bsx, were regarded by the punctators, by the Chald. and 
Syr. translators, and by nearly all of the modern commenta- 
tors, as proper names. Not so the Sept. and Vulg. — " quae 
in omnia alia abeunt." Nothing can be learned from them 
about the true original here. Is the version above correct ? 
Will the words fairly admit of a different and more intelligi- 
ble construction than that which has been the usual one ? 
are questions fairly before us, since the critics of other times 
are not agreed. 

The reasons for doubting the correctness of the present 
vowel-points are several. As they stand, we must translate 
thus : The ivords of Agur, the son of Jakeh, the oracular mes- 
sage, the declaration of the man for Ithiel — for Ithiel and Ukal. 
Here then, (a) We have conveyed to us the idea of ivords 
(a part o f ' the title) virtually repeated three times, viz., first 
in , then in KEMan , and lastly by tS3 ; the like of which 
can nowhere else be found, and which seems to be not only 
altogether unnecessary, but in a measure even unmeaning. 
This awakens suspicion, (b) The names Jakeh and Ukal 
occur nowhere else, as proper names ; that of Ithiel only 
once, viz., in Neh. 11:7. This would not indeed be proof 
of itself, that they might not be used as proper names here ; 
but if the consideration of them as proper names, would 
make the passage appear very singular and tame ; and spe- 
cially, if the interpretation of them as usual words, and not 

34* 



402 



Part V— Chap. XXX. 1. 



proper names, makes a good and congruous sense ; then all 
this is proper to be thrown into the balance of adjustment, 
(c) If Ithiel and Vkal are both proper names intimately as- 
sociated, why is it that the first is repeated, and the last not 
repeated ? Both appear, from our present point of view, to 
stand on the same level, (d) It seems singular, that the 
oracular message and the declaration should both be addressed 
to one person twice ; to another person once ; and moreover 
to two persons, who are elsewhere (if in fact they are per- 
sons) wholly unknown, and who, so far as the sequel is con- 
cerned, are never addressed or recognized in that sequel. 
At least, we can discern nothing , specially appropriate to 
them, in what follows, (e) Quite strange is it, in case the 
whole of verse first is title merely, to find *3 , in verse second, 
at the very beginning of a discourse, (f) In the usual 
mode of interpretation, KttJ^ and are both in apposition, 
and therefore both are in the const, before l^ii . But this 
cannot be, for the article before the first would be inadmis- 
sible, at least by any of the ordinary laws of grammar, (g) 
After d&« , in all other places, comes merely the person 
whose word it is (i. e. the subject or agent who speaks), but 
not the one to whom the address is made (the indirect object). 
At least this is the case universally in the Heb. Scriptures. 
Therefore " the word (DfcO) of the man to Ithiel" is without 
any parallel. (A) x'^p is not congruous in its meaning, with 
the matter which follows ; for this is not, (like what follows 
KUS'sri in other cases), one connected oracle, or one connected 
and judicial sentence, but many sayings on different topics. 
Nor does the matter of the sequel, i. e. the tenor of it, at all 
agree with the proper meaning of atett . — These are serious 
difficulties indeed ; and if they can be well avoided, it seems 
desirable to shun them. Let us see whether this can be 
fairly done. 

(1) n'^b is probably here the name" of a place. This may 
be argued, from its necessary meaning in 31: 1, a passage 



p ART V—Chap. XXX. 1. 



403 



altogether parallel with the one before us, as every one will 
see. There we have the following : " The words of Lemuel 
T\?'9. ? i- e » ( as usually rendered) the words of Lemuel the 
Icing, an oracle, etc. But this is an impossible construction. 
The Hebrews could say: hwwh T^Efi > or Tj^ 1 ! ^^V; but 
they did not and could not say : h&ttb . Of course, then, 
TjbE without the article is necessarily here in the const state ; 
and if so, then k&e is the name of the country over which 
Lemuel was king. This follows by a grammatical necessity. 
— But where is such a place or country ? In Gen. 25 : 14 
and 1 Chron. 1: 30, Massa is mentioned, and is coupled in 
each case with ron ; and this latter name occurs as;ain in 

T O 

Is. 21: 11. In Arabian geography, we find two Dumahs, 
viz., the Syrian one called Dumah el G'ondol, and the Ara- 
bic one named Dumah of Iraq ; but there is also another 
one, on the western slope of the highlands of Arabia, about 
some fifty to sixty geographical miles from Akaba, which is 
at the head of the eastern fork of the Red Sea. Near this 
latter Dumah, (in all probability, as it would seem, because 
of the junction of the two names elsewhere), was Massa. 
Moreover, both Dumah and Massa were probably inhabited 
by a colony of Jews, i. e. Simeonites ; about five hundred of 
whom marched into that country, and expelled the former 
inhabitants, in the time of Hezekiah, as we are informed in 
1 Chron. 4 : 41 — 43. After possessing themselves of Mount 
Seir, in Edom, they extended their conquests over all the 
remainder of the Amalekites, who are reckoned among the 
ancient Arabians by their own geographers. In view of 
these facts, it is easy to account for it, that a messenger was 
sent to consult Isaiah the prophet, out of the land of Dumah, 
Is. 21: 11. Doubtless, the messenger and those who sent 
him were Hebrews. 

(2) Taking the above historical events into view, it will 
be easy to see how it comes about, that a writer in Massa 
should develop an acquaintance with the Heb. Scriptures, 



404 



Part V-Chap. XXX. 1. 



and a high reverence for them ; which is plainly shown in 
30 : 5, 6, and also in the word Jehovah in 30 : 9. Whatever 
might be the difficulties we should meet with, in case Massa 
was inhabited by heathenish Amalekites, we are now freed 
from them by the historic notice above referred to, in 1 Chron. 
4 : 41 — 43. Dumah, and Massa its neighbor, in all proba- 
bility were a portion of the Amalekitish country, if we 
may judge from their localities ; and after the conquest of 
them by the Simeonites, we never hear any more about 
Amalek as an existing nation. It is plain, then, that chaps, 
xxx. xxxi. might have been written at Massa ; and this not 
very long after the Hebrew conquest of it. Thus far our 
path seems to be open. 

(3) The main difficulty respects Massa; and this being 
now removed, we come to the word which precedes it, and 
which, if we are in the right, should (with Massa) be pointed 
and read thus : kibe frrtp^ . By this mode of writing, the 
ft, which appears in our text as an article before a'tito , is 
attached to the preceding word as a suff. pronoun. That 
this n does not belong to Massa as an article, has already 
been shown, (see (f) above, and comp. Massa in 31 : 1, 
which has no article). Written in this way, the meaning 
stands thus : Agur, the son of her whose domain is Massa. 
The ground-form of ftiip* 1 . is MJrrfj^ , and this appears in Gen. 
49 : 10, in the const, state, and there means domain, or 
dominion; in a like sense it occurs in v. 17 of this present 
chapter ; or, if we follow the Arabic root ripl, lit. it means 
obedience, i. e. (in the concrete) those who obey. Domain is 
therefore a good word to convey the idea intended to be 
conveyed. We might expect, that rtfjjj* would, in the suff. 
state, make fiinttp* ; and so it would in its full form, but 
Hitzig (loc. cit.) has shown, that the form of nouns that 
have a double n, drops one of them before a suff. which 
consists of another ft- , so as to prevent the occurrence of 
three He's together; and consequently, that the abridged 



Part V— Chap. XXX. 1. 



405 



form here, ffinp^, is within the rules of Hebrew normal 
usage. — Only one question remains, then, in regard to such 
a phraseology, as here follows the const, noun 13 (from "jS , 
see in Lex.), viz., Can the const, state precede not only 
- nouns in the Gen., but also a whole clause, as in this case ? 
Ewald has fully answered this question in § 323, b, with 
many examples of such a construction. Our way then 
seems clear. )Z is often employed for )2 in the const. ; see 
Fuerst, Concord. Heb. We have then the following idea : 
The words of Agur, the son of her whose domain is Massa. — 
So much is the proper title or inscription of the book ; and 
here that title ends, as we shall soon see. 

The same queen of Massa seems to reappear, in 31 : 1. 
Lemuel, the king of Massa, is going to utter things which his 
mother taught him. It seems probable, then, that he was a 
successor to his mother in her domain ; and also that Agur 
(in 30 : 1) was a brother of his, being the progeny of the 
same queen. A person of remarkable endowments this 
mother would seem to have been, thus to instruct her sons ; 
and fortunate, as the world say, in having such sons. 

(4) We come now to the latter part of the verse. This 
I should write and render thus : hzw b# Wtf; wxb, 
I have toiled for God, I have toiled for God, and have failed* 
The Acc. h& is hardly governed by , a verb intrans. 

It is rather that kind of Acc. which indicates in respect to, 
in reference to, § 117. 3; of which there is a multitude of 
like examples. The sequel shows, that the toil in this case 
consisted in endeavors to find out God. After toiling in 
vain to accomplish this, he delisted, or failed, as to making 
more efforts. So stands it in our text, as pointed above, 
issh . This is the apoc. Imperf. of inbs , which does not 
simply imply the fact of desisting, but desisting because of a 
failure of strength and resolution to pursue the matter. 
The sequel will show why he failed, i. e. it develops the 
impossibility of accomplishing such an object.- — That this 



406 



Part V— Chap. XXX. 1. 



is not a forced or improbable construction, when we point 
the word loatt , is plain from the fact, that anciently the 
Sept., the Syr., and the Vulgate, all treat it as a verb in the 
Imperf. ; although some of them - derived it from bbj, to be 
able, and read it bsso == the full form b^frO . So Cocceius, 
who translates thus : Laboravi propter Deum, et obtinui. 
But the verb bb^ elsewhere always makes its Imperf. in the 
full form, irrttf. We must go then to rte as the stem, or to 
bbs = r*te in respect to meaning. J. D. Michaelis came 
near the true sense, in his translation : Concerning God 1 
have toiled, and given up the investigation. He must have 
pointed the word as proposed at the beginning of this para- 
graph. Forms like iosj we have in in Deut. 9 : 15. 
10: 5, see § 74. n. 3. b. 

If it be objected to the pointing in i&f W^b, that the 
name of God in the form btt or d^tfba never appears else- 
where in the book of Proverbs ; the fact is conceded, with 
the exception of S^'^JSt in 2:5, 17. We always have 
Jehovah, through the whole book elsewhere ; and just the 
contrary of this is the usage in Ecc, where Jehovah is never 
employed. This is a strong circumstance against identity 
of authorship in respect to the two books. But in the 
present case, it is of no weight as an objection against the 
use of btt here, because the ground taken is, that the author- 
ship belongs to a man out of Palestine, and one who cannot 
be regarded as bound by Solomonic usage. 

Thus we obtain a facile and congruous sense for the 
clause under examination ; as we shall more fully see in the 
sequel. If the Acc. , after , be a matter of diffi- 

culty to any one, (which surely it cannot be, if he well 
understands the Hebrew idiom), let him consider what 
license the Greeks take, with this same tense, after intrans. 
verbs; e.g. Baivsiv odov — akyuv vovg nodag — xdpveiv 
rovg oty&alfjiovg — and even %oo£vodv ( boi@ov, dancing Apollo, 
i. e. in honor of him — sXioasiv "u4qz8[mv, to dance Diana, — 



Part V— Chap. XXX. 2. 



407 



and many more of the same tenor. But the Heb. employs 
the Acc. even more extensively than the Greek. Most of 
the adverbs of manner, are made by nouns in the Acc. case. 

The version above, viz.*: / have toiled for God, must of 
course be here understood, (if we retain the word for in the 
translation), as meaning, that he had toiled for the acquisi- 
tion of a knowledge of God ; but yet, not in the ordinary 
sense of acquiring a saving knowledge of him, but in order 
to obtain a speculative knowledge, either ontological or 
physiological. That he failed in this toil, is not a matter of 
wonder; compare the striking passages in Job 11 : 7. 36 : 5, 
26. 37: 23. Eom. 11 : 33. 

If our conclusion above is correct, then the two chapters, 
Prov. xxx.. xxxi., came from the hand of a Jewish Arabian 
writer. The manner in which his composition begins, 
reminds one of the usual manner of commencing any com- 
position in Arabic. Here we have I3s\h d&o ; in Arabic, 

JLs (dixit) is the preface to any piece, with the name of the 
author following this verb ; and this is exactly = , with 
the speaker's name after it. 

No apology, I trust, is needed for the length of a dis- 
cussion, which proposes so much of a change in the ordinary 
version of the passage before us. Not a single consonant, 
let it be noted, has been changed or omitted, in making out 
this alteration, but merely a different vocalization is em- 
ployed. The difficulty of the passage doubtless occasioned 
the punctators to make proper names of those words, which 
they did not well understand. 

(2) Eor stupid am I more than any man : and I have not the 
understanding of men. 

Here we see the full force and propriety of ^3 . — He 
failed, because God cannot be searched out to perfection ; 
and then he desisted, because he found himself altogether 
unable to comprehend God. He was even made to feel, 



408 



Part V— Chap. XXX. 8, 4. 



that he was stupid beyond the common measure, yea, more 
than any other man. The phraseology need not, however, 
be urged to rigid exactness of statement, for it is poetical, 
and specially is it the language of feeling, rather than that 
of exact philosophizing or logic. 

(3) For I did not learn wisdom ; nor did I become acquainted with 
a knowledge of the Most Holy. 

The 1 at the outset is causal in a measure. Because he 
did not learn, etc., is the reason why he has said, that he 
was uncommonly stupid. The second 1 , following a nega- 
tive, means nor. — o^-rp , lit. the holy ones, plainly a plural 
intensive, and it is so rendered in the version. 

(4) Who ascendeth to heaven, and then descendeth? Who hath 
gathered the wind in his fists 1 Who hath bound up the waters as in 
a garment % Who hath established the ends of the earth ? What is 
his name, and what is his son's name, that thou shouldest know him % 

That is, God ascends and descends, and is everywhere. 
He holds the winds in his grasp, and restrains them or 
causes them to blow at his pleasure. — Bound up the waters, 
i. e. the waters above the firmament (Gen. 1:7), which of 
course, according to Hebrew views, needed to be hound, in 
order to keep them in place. — Th'tiEfo , as with a garment, 
the 5 being omitted because of the a , that is, as a man 
girds a garment around him so as to make a complete cover- 
ing, so are the waters above confined. The Spp^ seems to 
be the covering in question here, which, being regarded by 
the Hebrews as a solid expanse, affords a check upon the 
descent of the waters. Hence "the opening of the windows 
of heaven," at the time of the deluge, Gen. 7: 11, 12.— 
What is his name ? etc., are questions which imply, that no 
one knows him, or his family, (so to speak). — That thou 
shouldest knoiv him, i. e. so that thou, etc. In other words : 
Not even his name, or that of anything which pertains to 



Part V— Chap. XXX. 5—9. 



409 



him, is such that thou canst know it. To think of the Logos 
here, under the name of "ja , would be " travelling very far 
out of the record." — The sentiment plainly is : 6 We cannot 
know him or his, so as to satisfy speculative inquiry.' 

(5) Every word of God is pure ; a shield is he to those who trust in 
him. 

Compare the original of this, in Ps. 119 : 140. 12: 7 (6). 
All which God has said is free from dross or imperfection ; 
and he will protect all who trust in him. 

(6) Thou shalt not add to his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou 
become a liar. 

Compare Dent. 4:2. 13 : 1, (Eng. Vers. 12: 32). The 
quotation here is so plain, that one cannot doubt the famil- 
iarity of the writer with the Jewish Scripture. — For the 
form from ^o^ , see § 74. n. 3. c. — A liar is any one 

who falsifies God's truth, either by addition or diminution. 

(7) Two things have I asked of thee; withhold them not from me 
before I die. (8) Falsehood and lying words remove far from me; 
give me neither poverty nor riches ; feed me with the bread of my 
allotted portion. 

d^a demands the Imp erf. after it, as here in tvnajj . — Give 
me neither, etc., the Heb. runs thus : Poverty and riches give 
not to me! — iSl ^B^^fi, lit. pluck food for me — the bread 
of my portion. — - , is his ration, so to speak, i. e. what is 
allotted or suffices to satisfy his wants. — There appears, at 
first view, to be three things instead of two. But the last two 
clauses combine in the following way : 'Let me be neither 
rich nor poor, but merely one who has a sufficiency.' 

(9) Lest I be satiated and deny [thee], and say: Who is Jehovah? 
and lest I be poor, and steal, and violate the name of God. 

Great plenty usually produces pride and sensuality, and, 
of course, forgetfulness of God, and of our dependence on 
him. — Poverty tempts men to steal what they want, and 
35 



410 Part V— Chap. XXX. 10—14 



which they cannot otherwise obtain* Moreover, in conse- 
quence of this condition, some men often assail the divine 
Being with charges of partiality, severity, and injustice. — 
Assail or violate the name ; the verb teJSty lit. means to take 
hold of to grasp, to seize rudely for the sake of treating any 
one roughly. It is difficult to find an adequate English word. 
Assail has of course a bad sense, (which is required here), 
as commonly employed ; but the idiom is unusual. Violate? 
seems to come as near to the original, as we can well manage 
to come. Name of God is = God himself; as often elsewhere. 

(10) Thou shalt not cause a servant to slander his master; lest he 
should curse thee, and thou shouldesfc be guilty. 

^bfi is in Hiph,, and so has the meaning given to it in the 
version. — Should curse thee, viz., because he has incurred 
punishment for his crime of slandering, to which thou didst 
move him. — And since thou hast done a wrong, and made 
thyself guilty, the curse will light on thee, for thou hast 
deserved it. It will not be a ttefi rttp , but a curse with a 
good reason for it. 

[Next follows a specification of four classes of people, each one 
independent of the other ; and what is remarkable in the case is, that 
nothing is predicated of them, as to what they are to do or will do, 
(except in one ease), or even as to any retribution which awaits them. 
They stand in no connection with the context : and they apparently 
represent prevailing vices, inasmuch as whole classes are specified. It 
seems to be taken for granted, that each of these classes will be looked 
upon by the reader with high disapprobation.] 

(11) There is a generation, which curseth its father, and blesseth not 
its mother ; (12) A generation pure in its own eyes, and which is not 
washed from its filthiness ; (13) A generation — O how lofty are their 
eyes, and their eyebrows lifted up! (14) A generation whose teeth 
are swords, and their grinders knives, to consume the wretched of the 
land, and the needy among men. 

Y. 11, blesseth not = curseth ; a case of meiosis, — V. 12, 



Part V— Chap. XXX. 15, 16. 



411 



pure in its own eyes, although still unclean, ym, Part. Pnal, 
with a omitted, § 51. n. 5. — V. 18, Lofty eyes and eyebrows 
elevated are the usual marks or signs of pride or hauo-htiness. 
— V. 14, siuords and knives are instruments of destruction. 
Here the image is that of wild beasts, which are ready to 
devour, and so we have . — y*i$Q , out of the land, it 
might be rendered, i. e. to clear the land of them ; but I take 
•pa to denote a part of or belonging to. So also in , — 
But, what of all these? and what is to become of them? the 
writer does not say. He merely proffers them to our notice, 
doubtless anticipating our disapprobation of them. 

(15) The vampire hath two daughters, give, give : three there are, 
which are never satisfied, four which never say: Enough! (16) The 
under- wo rid, the barren womb, the ground never saturated with water, 
and fire which never says : Enough ! 

The vampire, ilg^?, is perhaps a somewhat doubtful 
translation. The ancients render leech or blood-sucker ; our 
English version, the horse-leech. In one respect this is con- 
gruous ; for these creatures are in a measure insatiable ; 
which makes the gist of the comparison. But they do not 
seem to be sufficiently significant, or of importance enough, 
to constitute the basis of comparison here. Vampire comes 
much nearer, in this respect. This is an imaginary spectre 
or ghost, in the popular mythology: which sucks human blood, 
specially that of children, and is insatiable for it. The word 
ttjtti? is found nowhere else in Heb. ; but the Arabians have 
the same word, and in the Kamus, their standard dictionary, 
it is defined by another Arabic word, viz., Jy£ ? GhooL 
This latter word, the Kamus again defines, as meaning, (1) 
Calamity. (2) Forest-devil. (3) A demon anthropophagous or 
man-eating and insatiable. The Arabians, down to the present 
hour, maintain that it is often met with in the forests of 
Arabia ; and they stand in great terror of it, when entering 
a thick forest. The Syrians had a like tradition ; but, like the 



412 



Part V— Chap. XXX. 15. 



Hebrews, they more generally named the Sprite trh^b . In 
Is. 34 : 14, this last word occurs, and it is amply and finely 
illustrated by Gesenius, in his Comm. on the passage. In 
fact, the popular mythologies of hither Asia correspond very 
near with those of the West. We have, or have had, spec- 
tres, sprites, hobgoblins, elves, imps, vampires, and — what 
not ? Of all these, the last named, i. e. an insatiable blood- 
sucking spectre, comes the nearest to the Arabic Ghool, and 
probably the Heb. T^b'J . Such a creature is of sufficient 
magnitude to correspond with the exigency of the passage. 
Insatiability in its highest development is required ; and the 
vampire or Ghool furnishes an example in point. Bertheau 
does not translate, but transfers, and writes 'Aluqa. I should 
do so likewise, if I were not satisfied that vampire comes 
sufficiently near to the original. — Whether the being in 
question be real or imaginary, is of no importance to the 
writer. The simple object is, to get a good basis of compar- 
ison in respect to insatiability. The popular notion of the 
vampire's insatiability afforded him one ; like to the popular 
notions which Isaiah assumes as the basis of his represen- 
tation, in chaps, xiv. and xxxiv. 

Has two daughters, not in the way of descent or generation, 
but (in conformity with the Heb. idiom), daughters so called 
from similitude. Thus Jesus said to the Jews : Ye are of 
your father the devil (John 8 : 44), i. e. his children, because 
they were like him in malicious intentions. — The vampire, 
then, has daughters in this sense, and in this way. There 
are two in number who are preeminent for insatiability, and 
so, on this account, are called the daughters of the vampire. 
These are named , i. e. give, give. These names are 

in apposition with m'sa, and partly exegetical of it. The 
names indicate the qualities, i. e. insatiable desire and the lack 
of any adequate satisfaction of it. To the two daughters, 
HT\ , art , is added another thing of like character ; and of all 
these three in common it is said : They are never satisfied. 



Part V— Chap. XXX. 16. 



413 



Then, finally, comes another thing which makes four ; and 
none of these ever say : Enough ! Thus one common trait, 
i. e. insatiability, belongs to the whole ; although the first 
two are preeminent above the rest, and so are called daughters 
of the vampire. The apparently masc. numerals have of 
course a fern, meaning in both cases, § 95. 1. The first clause 
in the verse seems to preclude the idea, that the third and 
fourth are reckoned as daughters of the vampire. 

Next comes the specification of the four. (1) The under- 
ivorld or grave ; which is always receiving, and never satisfied, 
but continually says : Give ! (2) The barren ivomb, or restraint 
of womb, viz., restraint from child-bearing. It is a generally 
acknowledged physiological fact, that barren women are the 
most vehement in their passion for offspring ; see Gen. 30 : 
1, seq., which illustrates the subject. (3) Ground not to be 
saturated with water, i. e. a sandy or gravelly soil, which 
speedily drinks up all the rain, and is ever needing more. 
(4) The fire, which is ever consuming, and ever needing to 
be replenished. 

Thus it appears, that the M^^fe , the mother-monster, is 
not herself reckoned as one of the number here produced, 
but only as a specimen to which the four are compared. It 
farther appears, that the two first are regarded as the most 
insatiable ; for give ! give I applies specially to them, since 
they are so named. But what is the object of producing 
these similitudes ? On this the commentators have generally 
shown a prudent silence. It is clear, that not one of these 
insatiabilities is in itself of a moral or criminal nature. They 
either belong to things not moral, or they are involuntary. 
If the context developed a miser, all would be plain. His 
appetite resembles the insatiability here described. But no 
miser makes his appearance in the context. One, therefore, 
can hardly help supposing, that this passage contains an 
extract from some other book, where, as it stood, it had 
proximate objects in view, and furnished similitudes to 
35* . 



414 Part V— Chap. XXX. 17—19. 



illustrate them. As the objects are here presented, the 
passage seems designed rather to be classed with striking 
descriptions, or similes, than with gnomes of a moral or 
prudential character. This constitutes a striking particular 
of difference, between this and the preceding parts of the 
book. All heretofore has some practical bearing. Here, 
the object seems rather to gratify the love of similitudes, 
than directly to inculcate prudence or morals. We must 
suppose, however, at least, that the writer left it to his readers 
to apply these illustrations of an insatiable appetite to some- 
thing within his own knowledge ; for example, it was easy 
to apply them to the miser, the glutton, the drunkard, and 
the debauchee ; although the writer has not himself expressly 
made such an application. — On the whole, there is good 
reason for reckoning this passage among the nin^h {enigmas) 
of the book, mentioned in 1: 6 as a part of the contents of 
the book. 

(17) The eye that derideth a father, and clespiseth the control of a 
mother — the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, the young eagles 
shall devour it. 

That eye here represents the person who sees, is plain. 
Yet the image of the eye is carried out, in the closing part of 
the verse. — rri^b , is the same word which stands in the title 
of the chapter, and there means domain. The Dagh. in p is 
a mere compensation for the Yodh which is made otiant here, 
for the sake of a more rapid pronunciation. Regularly written 
it would read, rnp^b ; comp. examples in § 20. 2, which are 
of the like kind. — This eye, the ravens tvill pick out, the 
young eagles will devour it — vivid images are these of severe 
punishment. 

(18) Three tilings are too wonderful for me; and four things I do 
not understand ; (19) The way of an eagle in the air ; the way of a 
serpent on a rock ; the way of a ship in the midst of the sea ; and the 
way of a man with a maid. 



Part V— Chap. XXX. 20. 



415 



V. 18, What is it which is matter of wonder? The things 
themselves, or the impossibility of tracing the way once gone 
over ? Certainly not the things themselves, for they are 
familiar and every-day matters. But that all these transi- 
tions can be made, without leaving any marks or signs of 
their having taken place — that seems to be the nucleus of 
the thing. — For examples of the phraseology, by which three 
are designated, and then a fourth is added, see Amos 1: 3, 6, 
9, 11, 13. 2: 1, 4, 6,= eight examples in succession. — As 
to the last clause, lit. it runs thus: As to four, Iknoiv them 
not. — V. 19, d*aisa', in the air, see Lex. The eagle leaves 
no trace of his lofty flight in the air ; the serpent, no trace 
of his passage over a rock ; a ship, no trace of its division of 
the waters. But the main thing is yet to come, because it 
has a special bearing on v. 20. — The way of a man with a 
maid; so our Eng. version, and I have followed it causa 
verecundiae. The Heb. SrsbsJa means in puetta, i. e. " homo 
vaginam pertransiens." — Of this no traces are left upon the 
man ; for it is the way of the man, in this case, and not of the 
woman. Whether tr~?~J here means virgin, or maid, i. e. 
young woman, is not what the writer is here concerned with, 
although virgin is the more probable sense. In either case, 
the thing asserted is equally true. No traces of intercourse 
are left upon the man. The case of the maiden may be 
physically different from this, and must in fact be so, although 
it may not be apparent. But this is not what the writer 
intends to assert. The woman, who makes pretences to 
incolumity, comes before us not here, but in the next verse. 
— The three first, then, are mere similars ; the fourth is not 
merely so, but it also prepares the way for what is said of 
the adulteress. 

(20) So is the way of the adulterous woman 5 she eateth, and wipeth 
her mouth, and saith : I have done nothing wrong. 

She eateth, means that she indulges her passion or appetite 



416 



Part V-Chap. XXX. 21—23. 



for venery. — Wipeth her mouth, is a continuation of the 
imagery of eating. The ancient (and indeed the present) 
Orientals fed themselves merely with their hands ; they 
were of course obliged to wash or wipe after eating, for the 
sake of cleanliness. When this was done, no visible sign of 
having eaten was left. — So the adulteress takes all possible 
precaution to remove any indicia of her criminal intercourse ; 
and when this is done, she claims to be guiltless. She would 
fain have others believe that she is innocent, and challenges 
any one to point out the least index of crime. But the 
manner in which she comes to make the claim, seems to 
imply, that pains-taking was necessary in order to render it 
credible. Were it not for that pains-taking, it would seem 
to be implied, that the thing done might be traced or sus- 
pected. The whole taken together serves to show, that 
although nothing palpable in the way of proof remains in the 
case of the man, by which his doings might be ascertained, 
it is different with the woman, unless special pains be taken 
to remove or conceal every trace of crime. 

The moral of the whole seems to be, that not all guilt can 
be discovered, in consequence of its leaving palpable evi- 
dence behind it. The writer would seem to say: ' Trust 
not mere appearances too much. Remember, that neither 
professions of innocence, nor even appearances of it, do 
always prove the existence itself of innocence/ — The 
passage thus considered, however, is not designed to incul- 
cate a proneness to suspicion, but merely to throw in a 
caution against unlimited credulity in first appearances. — 
It may well be reckoned as one of the ni^-ft . 

(21) Under three things the land trembleth, and because of four, it 
cannot lift itself up ; (22) Under a servant, when he hath rule ; and a 
fool, when he aboundeth in bread 5 (23) Under a hateful woman, when 
she getteth married ; and a servant-maid, when she becometh heir to 
her mistress. 

Three and four again perform the same part here as 



Part V— Chap. XXX. 24— 2 G. 



417 



above The numbers being to appearance masc., are in 

fact fern., agreeing with things implied. — h»!o , contracted 
from n^r , fern. Inf. of . The idea is that of bearing tip, 
under the weight of what presses it, — V. 22, baji implies 
the nnrn of the preceding clause before it ; and so of nnsri 
in the next verse. — snb (in pause), Acc. after a verb of 
fulness. Our idiom supplies a preposition. — Y. 23, rw:r:3 9 
fern. part, noun, under her who is hated = a hateful or ugly 
woman. — ftfr^S , suff. form of rrna , To inherit her mistress, 
means to come in her place, i. e. to become the wife of her 
master. The writer plainly deems such things as are here 
mentioned, to be odious incongruities. 

(24) There are four small things in the world : and yet they are 
very wise. 

The sequel shows, that the four small things are animals 
of the smaller kind. Heb. lit. small things of the earth, i. e. 
belonging to it. — Very wise, lit. ivise made wise, the last 
word being Part. Pual ; of course if the wise are made still 
wiser, then they become very wise, quasi he-wised ; so in the 
version. 

(25) The ants are not a strong folk; and yet they prepare their 
food in summer. (26) The mountain-mice are a folk not mighty; 
and yet they fix their habitation in the rock, 

V. 25, Tlie ants are a conspicuous example of activity and 
diligence; comp. 6: 6 — 8. — V. 26, not conies, for 

they do not build among the rocks ; and it is doubtful, 
moreover, whether they are indigenous in Palestine. But 
the proper mountain-mice have some resemblance to them, 
although they are smaller. In Arabia, and other places, 
they are gregarious, and very abundant among the rocky 
hills ; and withal, they are remarkably swift, and dexterous 
in escaping danger, by retreating into the crevices of the 
rocks where they live. — sb&s, with the article, as being 
the name of a substance. 



418 Part V— Chap. XXX. 27—29. 

(27) The locusts have no king ; and yet they march on, all of them 
divided into bands. 

In the Heb. rnnx is sing, generic ; and of course the suffix 
in is the same. Our idiom demands the 'plural. — 
is often used in reference to the orderly marching forth of 
an army. — dividing, sundering, i, e. into regular 

bodies of march, like soldiers under their leaders. This 
they do spontaneously, without any king ; which shows 
their instinctive sagacity. 

(28) The lizard laj^eth hold with both hands, and she is even in 
the palaces of the king. 

not spider (as in our version), as Bochart has 
fully shown, but the lizard, i. e. the house-lizard, which is 
very frequent in Palestine, and gets into every kind of 
dwelling. Its principal food is flies; and these it springs 
upon, and grasps with both its prehensiles, as if they were 
hands. They are tolerated in palaces even, because they 
help to clear them of vermin. 

The activity and dexterity of these four classes of insig- 
nificant animals, gave occasion to the gnomic sayings before 
us. The hue of the whole chapter is very remarkable. In 
the present case, there is no moral suggested. To the mind 
of the reader is left the application. In the present case, 
the moral seems to be, that however insignificant a man may 
be in the eyes of the world, who have much regard to birth 
and outward circumstances, there is after all abundance of 
room for him to be active and sagacious, and to accomplish 
important ends thereby. 

(29 ) There are three things which excel in step ; yea, four which 
excel in gait. 

iXl ^5^72 , Part. Hiph., lit. make good the step, or make 
goodly steps ; which means what the version expresses. The 
last clause repeats the same idea, in another form, viz., 



Part V— Chap. XXX. 30, 31. 



419 



maketh goodly the gait or going, — nzb (in pause), fern. Inf. 
of 

(30) The lion is mighty among the beasts, and he will turn back 
from the face of no one. (31) The greyhound, and the he-goat, and 
a king who cannot be withstood. 

V. 30, The majestic and fearless gait of the lion has been 
often remarked. — V. 31, z^ryo T^t , lit. compressed (root ""it) 
of loins. 'Probably it is the greyhound, which is here char- 
acteristically so called, whose gaunt loins are conspicuous. 
Then the gait of this animal answers well to the writer's 
object, for it is at once graceful and rapid. To translate 
war-horse, with Gesenius, and others, seems incongruous. 
Of himself, he is not compressed of loins ; nor are his belts, to 
which they appeal, bound on his loins, but on the fore-part 
of his body. Others translate Zebra; but this is not a 
Palestine animal. — is a particle which seems hardly in 
place here. To translate or (the usual sense) makes no 
tolerable meaning, for this would be merely to say, that ^ nt 
and are tw r o names of one and the same animal. In that 
case we should have only three of the w 7 hole, and not four as 
v. 29 demands. With J. H. Michaelis, then, we must here 
translate as = and ; and so, all the ancient Versions. 
With Michaelis we may refer to Num. 15:6. Mai. 2 : 17, as 
supporting such a translation. — ttS^n means the he-goat who 
is the head of the flock, and leads and controls its movements. 
The ordinary gait of goats among us certainly has little of 
the nia in it ; but the larger Oriental he-goats, at the head of 
a flock, march along with much affected dignity and stateli- 
ness. — Eipba, see on rvra-itf, in 12: 28. In the book of 
Psalms, Mp is often used in the sense of a hostile rising up ; 
and here oip^N appears to be a compound word, viz., dip and 
the negative bltf . Hence it means no withstanding,!, e. there 
is nothing of opposition which avails with Mm. So the Jewish 
interpreters. The usual stately movement of such a heroic 
sovereign, is here the point of allusion. 



420 



Part V— Chap. XXX. 32, 33. 



And now for the moral. What is it ? These stately gaits 
are surely not proposed as objects of imitation ; nor yet, of 
repugnance. I see no more in them, than the presentation 
of remarkable things, to witness which impresses the mind 
in a pleasing manner. They seem to be made prominent 
here, principally as mirabilia. 

(32) If thou hast played the fool in exalting thyself ; if thou hast 
craftily devised, with thy hand to thy mouth. 

For tfteinsi , see 1 K 1: 5. — n&b ^ , with hand to mouth, 
(Ace of manner), denotes the action of a man in deep think- 
ing, who often spontaneously puts his hand to his mouth 
while making mental effort. In other words : 6 If thou hast, 
with much pains-taking, devised evil.' 

Thus far is protasis, in both clauses introduced by if, but 
without any apodosis expressed to either of them. We must 
therefore suppose one ; which would be as follows : 6 Thou 
hast acted wickedly or foolishly.' Or, we may take Dtt in a 
negative way, implying that one ought not to engage in such 
things. In accordance with this last implied idea, is the 
tenor of the next verse. 

(33) For the pressing of milk produceth cheese ; and the pressure 
of the nose produceth blood ; so doth the pressure of anger produce 
contention. 

That is : 6 Indulge not evil devices, because (^3) this will 
bring you into contention and mischief.' Milk pressed be- 
comes another substance, viz., cheese, which is harder and 
more solid ; the nose pressed in anger, (our vulgar idiom is, 
pulling one's nose), produces blood ; and then comes the main 
point aimed at, viz., the occasion of strife. — t^SK (lit. nos- 
trils) has here its secondary sense, viz., that of anger. If one 
urges and presses hard on an angry man, the consequence 
of such a course is a quarrel. — If we look back, we may 
now see a connection. Mischievous devices, which bear hard 



Part VI— Chap. XXXI. 1, 2. 421 



or press on others, will be certain to produce strife and do 
mischief. — In the two last clauses, the paronomasia in £]X 
and D*)BX is very conspicuous. 

[Thus end the words of Agur. The difference between the style 
and manner of sentiment here, and in the preceding part of the book, 
must be obvious, at once, to every discerning reader. In the latter, 
we have no such continued and multiplied similes ; and besides this, 
we are scarcely, if ever, at a loss to see the moral, that is, the pruden- 
tial principle or sentiment aimed at. It usually lies on the surface. 
But in the present chapter, in several cases, we have no small diffi- 
culty to find any moral ; and in some, we cannot, as we have seen, find 
it at all. In some cases, we have QiittSa of mere similitudes, adapted 
more to surprise or to please, than to impart ethical instruction. See 
Introd. § 1.] 

Part VI. Chap. XXXI. 1—9. 

[These nine verses contain the instructions of Lemuel's mother ; 
(1) Caution against incontinence. (2) Against drunkenness. (3) 
Monitions in respect to doing justice, and vindicating the oppressed.] 

(1) The words of Lemuel, king op Massa ; which his mother 
taught him. 

See on 30 : 1, where the first part of this verse is fully 
discussed. — , (without the article) must be in the const, 
state ; and if so, then Massa is the name of the king's do- 
main. As Agur is called the son of the queen of Massa 
(SO : 1), and here the king of Massa is represented as being 
taught by his mother ; so it seems quite probable, that this 
mother of the king of Massa, is the queen referred to in 
30 : 1 ; and consequently, that Agur and Lemuel were 
brothers. The two compositions are probably contempora- 
neous, or nearly so. — I'n^&^j Piel fern. Perf. with suffix; 
see Parad. Suff. p. 292. 

(2) "What, my son ? and what, the son of my womb '? yea what, the 
son of my vows ? 

36 



422 Part VI— Chap. XXXI. 8—5. 



That is : < What shall I say to thee ?' Or: 6 What ought- 
est thou to do ? ' The repetition denotes earnestness in 
demanding attention. The son of my vows, probably refers 
to vows uttered before his birth, that she would do so and 
so, in case she should bear a son ; comp. 1 Sam. 1: 11. Per- 
haps the name of that son, bai^b (in v. 4), for him is God, 
or he belongs to God, may indicate a consecration of him to 
God as his. — ^13 in Ps. ii., and in other places, shows that 
the word is not merely Aramaean, but belongs to the older 
Hebrew. 

(3) Give not thy strength to women, nor thy ways to the destruc- 
tion of kings. 

may mean wealth ; but here this meaning is less 
probable. TJie destruction of Icings seems to refer to the 
enervating power of excessive venery, and the premature 
death which it usually brings. The destruction of kings = 
that which destroys kings, nimb , Inf. Hiph. n prefix being 
elided, and its vowel thrown back under the b, § 52. 2. n. 7. 
Strength, therefore, i. e. physical vigor, seems to be the true 
idea of . — The plur. ta p T , in "pabtt , is not alone. Other 
like cases are found in Hebrew, § 86. 1. a. 

(4) Not for kings, O Lemuel, not for kings, is the drinking of wine • 
nor for princes, the desire of strong drink. 

inu?, the apoc. form of nimzi, Inf. of § 74. n. 2. — 

Before the second clause, *i means nor, because it follows a 
negative. — , Qeri itf , which would be an interrogative ; 
and then we must translate : ivhere is strong drink ? A pos- 
sible, but not a probable sense. Ges. (Lex.) reads i& , which 
he makes the const, of la , just as nro is const, of nvo . I 
prefer this solution to the Qeri. The root then is nix , to 
desire, and is const, of IK = desire. 

(5) Lest he drink, and forget that which is decreed, and pervert the 
judgment of all the afflicted. 



Part VI— Chap. XXXI. 6—9. 423 



PEprm, Pual Part, form, used as a neuter noun here. — 
Heb. all the sons of the afflicted, means merely what is ex- 
pressed in the version. — It is a king's business to sit as a 
court of ultimate appeal for the oppressed. But how can he 
judge rightly, under the influence of intoxicating drink ? It 
is assumed that he cannot. 

(6) Give strong drink to him who is ready to perish ; and wine to 
those who are in bitterness of spirit. (7) Let him drink, and forget 
his poverty, and no more remember his toil. 

*yzb , plur. const, of "ie adj. — Y. 7, tr^n, also written tt)^ 
and tifit^a root itfiFr, It has an unusually fluctuating orthog- 
raphy. The bitterness of spirit seems to be regarded here 
as brought on by poverty and excessive 'toil. 

(8) Open thy mouth for the dumb ; for the cause of every orphan. 

That is, plead for those who cannot plead for themselves. 
— Advocate the cause of the orphan, lit. of all the sons of be- 
reavement. 

(9) Open thy mouth, to judge righteously: yea, vindicate the 
afflicted and the poor. 

pns , Acc. adverbial. — )^ may be a noun = judgment ; 
but the verb makes a more energetic sense. To judge is 
generic, and may mean to acquit or to condemn. Here it 
means to acquit, and thus to vindicate the cause of the 
afflicted, that is, of the oppressed. 

[These precepts are brief, but very expressive. The cautions are 
directed against those vices, into which kings are most apt to fall. Wine, 
women, and oppression in order to collect much money from the peo- 
ple, are things about which kings usually need very impressive in- 
struction. The excellent mother, who seems to have understood 
these matters well, has here given salutary advice, with great kind- 
ness and much earnestness. How different would the conduct of most 
kings be, should they hearken to the admonitions originally addressed 
to the young king of Massa !] 



424 Part YI— Chap. XXXI. 10—12. 



Chap. XXXI. 9 — 31. Eulogy of the prudent and 
industrious housewife. 

[This is one of the alphabetical songs. The style differs strikingly 
from that of chap.- xxx. ; for here, all the verses are nearly of the 
same length. The parallelisms have a close resemblance to those in 
the book of Psalms ; and especially to those in the alphabetical Psalms. 
It results from the texture of an alphabetic song, that the connection 
of the thoughts should be somewhat looser than in free song, because 
such words must be introduced as will chime with the order of the 
alphabet. This is strictly observed in the present case. But the 
second parallelism in such verse is free, and is not bound by any order 
of the alphabet at all. Whoever was the author of the piece, (it pur- 
ports to have come from the queen-mother), an extensive acquaint- 
ance with the laws and nature of the more artificial Heb. poetry is 
manifested. It is a song which is at the same time both beautiful and 
noble. The picture is certainly very attractive, and shows the hand 
of a skilful artist. It is a striking specimen of the simplex munditiis.] 

(10) A woman of energy who shall find? For her value is far 
removed from pearls. 

Who shall find ? i. e. such a woman is rare, but well 
worth searching after. — Far removed from pearls, because 
she is worth much more than pearls. Thus we say : 6 Such 
a person distanced another/ when we mean that he far ex- 
ceeded him. 

(11) The heart of her husband trusteth in her ; and gain will not 
be lacking. (12) She rendereth him good, and not evil, all the days 
of her life. 

ibtij , usually spoil, but here tropically, that which is equiv- 
alent to it in value, viz., gain, profit In other words, she 
brings him that which takes the place of spoil, and super- 
sedes it. — After rt^a comes two Accusatives, viz., that of 
the object given, and of the person to whom the gift is made 
§ 136. 2. 



Part VI— Chap. XXXI. 13—18. 425 



(13) She seeketh wool and flax, and manufacture th them with 
willing hands, (14) She is like to the ships of the merchant; she 
bringeth from afar her sustenance. 

V. 13, rp53 ysria 9 lit. with the desire or good pleasure of 
her hands. The real meaning is given in the version, i. e. 
she labors readily and cheerfully. — She bringeth from afar, 
etc., that is, she sells her manufactures, and purchases with 
the price of them that food which is imported from abroad, 
whether necessaries or luxuries. The implication is, that 
she sends the products of her labor to a foreign country, and 
thence brings, in the way of exchange, what she needs for 
her household. 

(15) She riseth up, moreover, while it is yet night, and giveth food 
to her household, and a due portion to her maidens. 

The meaning of {food) here is derived from the Hiph. 
of tfita 5 which means cibum discerpere. — r^s here prob- 
ably means her own family ; while ph , (lit. statute, lata, de- 
cree), designates the determined portion of food allotted to 
her maidens ; comp. 30 : 8, where is a like instance of ph 
employed in this way. Were it not for this, I should be 
inclined to refer ph to the allotted task of the servant-maids. 

(16) She setteth her mind upon a field, and procure th it : from the 
fruit of her hands is the planting of the vineyard. 

irr;t , thinks upon, revolves in her mind, i. e. she thinks out 
a plan of purchasing the field. — The fruit of her hands, 
means the products of her labor. With these, she, by selling 
them, procures money to purchase a vineyard. The Kethibh 
should be written const, of 5?t^5 (see Is. 5 : 7), which 

makes a better sense than the verb , which, is proffered 
by the Qeri. 

(17) She girdeth her loins with strength, and maketh strong her 
arms. (18) She well unclerstandeth that her merchandize is good; 
her lamp goeth not out, through the night. 

36* 



426 



Part VI— Chap. XXXI. 19—21. 



Y. 17, She is active and energetic. — V. 18, She knows 
how to appreciate and to relish the good or comforts which 
her merchandize procures". Heb. lit., She tasteth that her mer- 
chandize is good. I have endeavored to preserve the idea, 
while expressing it in our current idiom. — As to b^b , the 
Masorites bid us to turn it into iib h b , which last is the usual 
form. But the other is good, and is elsewhere employed. — 
The idea here is, that she works through the night, in order 
to accomplish some favorite task of her industry, and so needs 
a lamp during that period. 

(19) Her hands she putteth to the distaff; her fingers grasp the 
spindle-wheel. 

*iitt3^ is found only here. Ges. refers it to the root life, 
and so it would seem that it must be referred, as to its form. 
But there is nothing in the meaning of this verb, {to be right, 
prosperous), which indicates any relation to the subject. We 
depend on Jewish tradition for its meaning ; which, however, 
is uniform. — ^ba is rendered spindle by most. But if her 
hands took hold of that, it must be something very different 
from our spindles. As^ the word means a little wheel or pul- 
ley, orbiculus, I take it as here designating the wheel which 
the hands turn, and which is connected with the motion of 
the spindle. 

(20) She openeth wide her hand to the afflicted ; she putteth forth 
her hands to the needy. (21) She feareth not for her household be- 
cause of the snow; for all her house are clothed with purple. 

V. 20, Opens wide her hand, i. e. dispenses liberally. — 
Putteth forth, etc., i. e. she stretches out her hand for the sake 
of succoring. V. 21, Because of the snow, i. e. because of the 
wintry cold. — te^d , piwplc, is probably to be understood 
tropically here ; for the mere color of a garment would not 
defend from the cold ; nor was the color in question limited 
merely to garments of woollen cloth. The meaning, there- 
fore, seems to be, that she furnishes handsome and warm 



Part VI— Chap. XXXI. 22—26. 



427 



clothing for her family. Purple garments were of course of 
the better sort, and also the highest in price ; hence the 
tropical meaning here. 

(22) Coverlets doth she make for herself ; fine linen and scarlet is 
her clothing. (23) Her husband is known in the gates, because he 
sits with the elders of the land. 

Y. 22, D^i^ seems to be confined to the clothing of beds. 
We cannot well give it the generic sense of covering, although 
it would fit well here. — The literal meaning of scarlet here, 
need not be urged. The general idea is, that she furnishes 
the best kinds of clothing. — Y. 23, By thrift, her husband 
attains to a place among the magistracy, who sit by the gates 
in order to decide causes. Accordingly, he is said to sit with 
the elders. 

(24) Linen vestments doth she make and sell ; and girdles doth she 
present to the merchant-man. 

"p^b is the inner linen vestment — skirt. — The girdle is a 
necessary part of oriental costume, because of the loose outer 
vestments, which it is employed to draw close to the person. 

(25) Strong and beautiful is her clothing; and she laugheth at the 
time to come. 

Lit. strength and beauty, abstract for concrete. — Laughs at 
the time to come, because she has abundant provision for it, 
i. e. clothing and stores of every kind ; and therefore she is 
cheerful (laughs), not having any solicitude. 

(26) Her mouth she openeth with wisdom ; and the law of kind- 
ness is on her tongue. 

She speaks discreetly, and her speech is kindly. 

(27) She watcheth the ways of her household; and the bread of 
sloth she eateth not. 

fern. Part. Kal of riSS, § 74. n. 5. — The Kethibh 
makes no sense, in the next word, without another vowel- 



428 Part VI— Chap. XXXI. 28—31. 



pointing ; but HbV*ft , would be a fern. Plur. Part., and then 
the meaning would be : she watcheth over the goers of her 
house, i. e. over her servants — a possible, but rather im- 
probable sense, as no example of the like kind anywhere 
occurs. We must (with the Qeri) read sniD^bii , goings, i. e. 
wags or demeanor. — Will not eat the bread of idleness, means 
that she will not sit down inactive, and be fed merely by 
others who are active, while she is idle herself. 

(28) Her children rise up and call her blessed; as to her husband — 
he will praise her : (29) Many daughters have done virtuously, but 
thou hast excelled them all ! 

is put first for emphasis' sake, and stands here as 
Nom. independent. — V. 29 is the eulogy which the husband 
utters. — Virtuously, in the older sense of the word, i. e. 
efficaciously = b^ns . We say still : " This herb has no vir- 
tue in it," i. e. no potency or efficacy. — n£< , thou fern. ; the 
Dagh. stands for 2 ; and the reason of the Sheva at the close 
will be seen at once, by writing out the full word tna&t , § 10. 
3. b. — r^h'j , second fern., hast risen up. Then follows b$ , 
above ; so, thou hast excelled. — , with plur. suff. fern. 

(30) Loveliness is deception, and beauty is vanity ; but a woman 
who fears God shall be praised. 

That is, loveliness and beauty of person merely are fleet- 
ing, evanescent, and unsatisfying. Piety is everything. — 
nan";, Part. fern, in the const, state, masc. an; , fern, fiarn , 
const, nan 1 ;, § 132. 1. b. 

(31) Praise ye her according to the fruit of her hands ; yea, men 
shall praise her in the gates for her deeds. 

^runost make from in the Imper., and so, they trans- 
late by give. But another way is open, fistn , in Piel, means 
to praise, and perhaps the same in Kal. If not, then the 
vowel-points may be changed to sisn , Piel Imper. That 
this is the more probable sense, seems to be indicated by the 



Part VI— Chap. XXXI. 31. 



429 



corresponding nbbtV], in the next clause. In Jadg. 11: 40, 
b is inserted after ni3tn , as it is in rib here. — In *^fBfo , 
has the sense of according to, secundum ; see Lex. s. v. A. 2. 
f. — iJ^SO , Acc. of in respect to, in regard to. 

It may not be amiss to suggest here, that the verb rtjsn 
originally means extend, porrigere, spread out, (the root of 
the Greek verb 2 8ir-co), and that the much controverted 
run of Ps. 8 : 2, may be easily explained by pointing it iigpi , 
which makes the passage read thus : Who spreadest out thy 
glory nyy^n b'J , over the heavens. In this way, all is easy 
and natural ; for by {over) is altogether appropriate after 
such a verb or participle, but not at all after fisn as derived 
from yrfr . Hence the perplexity of commentators, who de- 
rived it in this way. If the sense proposed be altogether 
congruous, (as it plainly is), and at the same time we are 
liberated from all grammatical straits, I know of no good 
reason why we should not adopt it. 

One must go back to the simplicity of ancient times, in 
order to enter fully into the spirit of this eulogy ; and every 
one who does this, cannot fail to perceive the admirable 
beauty, congruity, and simplicity of the whole. 



CONTENTS. 



I. Introduction. 

PAGE. 

Preface 3 

§ 1. Name of the Book 11 

§ 2. Leading Divisions 13 

§ 3. Why is one common name given to the whole ? 17 

§ 4. Arrangement and characteristics of Part 1 19 

§ 5. Authorship of Part 1 23 

§ 6. Characteristics of Part II 30 

§7. Characteristics of Part III 39 

§ 8. Characteristics of Part IV , . 44 

§ 9. Characteristics of Part Y 47 

§ 10. Characteristics of Part VI 51 

§11. Plan of the Book 54 

§12. Idioms and Peculiarities 59 

§13. Practical importance 61 

§14. Ancient Versions 64 

(1) Septuagint 64 

(2) Peshito, or Old Syriac 75 

(3) The Chaldee Targums 81 

(4) The Vulgate 90 

§15. Apocryphal Imitations of Proverbs 92 

(1) Sirach 92 

(2) Wisdom of Solomon 101 

§16. General remarks on the Proverbs of the Hebrews ... .111 
§17. Specimens of Arabic Proverbs 114 



CONTENTS. 



431 



§18. Specimens of Greek Proverbs 120 

§19. Use of the Book of Proverbs 126 

§ 20. Peculiarities of Exegesis , 128 



II. Special Remarks on peculiar Forms, Syntax, and 
Meaning of Words, etc., in reference to Gram- 
matical Difficulties and Exegesis. 

[The design of the following notices is to guide the reader, in any 
particular researches after specialities in Hebrew Grammar or exege- 
sis. They may assist him in finding examples for the illustration of 
peculiar idioms and meanings of words and phrases, and also peculiar 
constructions.] 

(1) Infinitives with b instead of a definite Verb, 1: 2. (Variety 

in the construction), 2 : 2, 8. 8 : 21. 

(2) Gender of Infinitive Nouns of fern, form may be masculine, 

14 : 6, (cases quoted). 

(3) Inf. construct admits a qualifying or object-noun, between 

its subject and itself, 1: 26. 

(4) Inf. Mode continued by a definite Mode and Tense, 1: 26. 

2: 2, 8. 19 : 8. 

(5) Speciality of ^ , Prov. 1: 17, (initial), 2: 3. 

(6) nj— added to third person fern, of the Imperfect, to distin- 

guish it from second pers. masculine. 

(7) Use of Perf. and Imperf. distinct, 1: 22, comp. 1: 24. 

'(8) Difference between ]— and H3— i"!3— in the Imperf. forms, 
1: 28. 

(9) Preposition )~Q meaning without, 1: 30, fortified by examples. 

(10) Discrepancy of. Gender between a Verb and its subject, 

Introd., § 11. chap. 2 : 10. 1: 20. 9:1. 12 : 25. 14 : 1. 
16 : 33, (Exc). 

(11) Plural Nom. having a Sing, predicate, — i. e. case of indi- 

vidualizing, 3:18, (cases cited), 4 : 22. 28 : 1. 

(12) a essentiae, 3 : 26, (with references), 8 : 8. 

(13) b after verbs of Motion, 20 : 14. 



432 



CONTENTS. 



(14) Case of Daghesh dirimens, 4 : 13, (with references). 

(15) Common Gender of the members of the body, 5 : 2, with 

references. 

(16) Omission and insertion of the article before a noun with 3 , 

5: 4. 

(17) Omission of Daghesh forte in verbs 2$, 7 : 13. 

(18) Omission of Daghesh lene in 7 : 16, (an extra case). 

(19) Vav conversive, before a Norn, which precedes the verb, 

still has the same influence on the verb itself, 12 : 21. 

(20) Compounds with bi< , see 12 : 28. 30 : 31. 

(21) Is ntf used before a Nom. Case ? Ans. neg. ; (see 16 : 33, 

with Exc). 

(22) Conjugation Nithpael, 27: 15. 

(23) Plural intensive, 6 : 10, 14, 16. 7 : 18, 27. 8 : 13. 9 : 1, 6, 

10. 10 : 6, 31, 32. 14 : 1, 11, 17, 30. 17 : 4. 18 : 23. 20 : 
18. 22 : 24. 24 : 7, 32. 28 : 20. 29 : 1. 

(24) Alleged predestination of the wicked, 16 : 4. 

(25) Eeward in a Future State, 14 : 32. 15 : 10. 

(26) Special Disquisition on Agur and Lemuel, 30 : 1. 31: 1. 



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